Colors of the Heart
by Victor Sandman
Summary: When people die...where do they go? It's said that a Death Note user goes nowhere when they die. To nothingness. What is that nothingness? What happens when you die with Shinigami eyes? Will Soichiro ever realize Light is Kira? Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

Author's note:  
>I didn't put this fic into the Crossovers section for a good reason. Admins, if you're reading this, please don't move it. This fic is something like 70% Death Note, and 20% Bleach, and 10% original content. There isn't a great need for you to have watched Bleach before, however, if you've watched through the first 100 episodes or so, it'll be something of a bonus treat. The only real requirements are having watchedread Death Note.  
>I wish I owned Death Note and Bleach, but noooo...I don't. Shonen Jump owns both.<br>So...Let's get started, shall we?  
>Summary:<br>When people die...where do they go? It's said that a Death Note user goes nowhere when they die. To nothingness. What is that nothingness? What happens when you die with Shinigami eyes? Do you become a Shinigami? (In what way?) Does Soichiro ever realize that his own son is Kira? Who would Kira go after if he could kill one more person? Near? Matsuda? Soichiro? Read on to find out! I'm horrible at summaries!

Soichiro Yagami awoke to agonizing yet dull pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw... He saw his panicked son in front of him, thrusting that accursed notebook of death at him. He saw Matsuda behind Light, tears welling up in his soft brown eyes, begging the police chief to hold on. Soichiro couldn't hear what Light was saying...or was it that he didn't want to? He remembered now, where he was. He had been shot by one of Mello's henchmen, and severely wounded by the debris from Mello's explosive charges. He was in a Tokyo hospital.

He felt a pen shoved into his grasp. He guessed what Light wanted him to do, but he couldn't bring himself to do it... To write down "Mihael Keehl" in that God-damned notebook. He could never bring himself to kill another soul, as long as he lived. He saw Light's eyes tear up as he pleaded his father to write the name. And before his soul slipped away from his mortal body, he realized that he could see Light's lifespan hovering above his head, and he felt slightly more at peace. As a single tear fell from Light's eye, Soichiro Yagami departed from the realm of the living, and entered an entirely different world.

He could no longer feel the pain, of that much he was certain.

As he opened his eyes, he felt strangely at peace. There were no more mechanical contraptions gauging his vital signs, no more IV drips, no more bandages, no more pain. Although that physical pain would be nothing compared to the emotional pain he felt now. He saw his son standing alongside a body laying on a hospital bed, tears streaming from his eyes. He looked at the body in the bed, and realized with horror that it was his own. He looked about the room and saw his closest friends, Matsuda, Mogi, Aizawa, and Ide, clustered near his lifeless corpse. Matsuda was in tears, and the rest wore sombre expressions of grief and melancholy. Soichiro wanted to reach out to Light and Matsuda and everybody else, and tell them that he was no longer feeling pain, that they didn't have to cry over him, that he had died without resentment towards any of them, that he loved them all like family. He staggered towards poor Matsuda, who had comforted him so many times when he was struggling with L's accusation of his beloved Light. But when he reached his arm out to wrap it around Matsuda's shoulder, it went straight through him. He was dead. He was certain that nobody could see him, that he was just a ghost of his former self. He couldn't comfort his grieving friends. He couldn't hold his wife, Sachiko, or his daughter, Sayu, and tell them that everything would be all right. Now he truly knew the pain that came with death. It wasn't something they taught you to deal with in the police academy. It was different, it was the feeling of helplessness while your friends were suffering.

He walked down the stairs from the hospital entrance, passing through crowds of people. Every now and then, someone would stare at him for a moment, and then they would rub their eyes or blink or mutter to themselves. Soichiro noticed this, as his usual observant behavior was in no way muddled by the sudden shock of realizing his own death. He walked home, but only halfway through his walk did he notice that there was a strange weight to his chest. He looked down and noticed that there was a metal chain, about 2 feet long, attached to a plate on his chest. His body was otherwise intact, like it was before being pumped full of lead. That was some comfort at least.

He saw his house at the next intersection. He trudged up the steps to the house and entered the Yagami household-his house-for what would most likely be the last time. A tear rolled from his eye as he saw his wife, Sachiko helping Sayu with her homework, oblivious to the fact that her husband had just died in a Tokyo hospital a few miles away from where she was now. Soichiro Yagami slumped down to the ground, his back against the wall. He still couldn't bear the thought of leaving his family alone like this. How Sachiko would respond when she realized that her husband of 29-no, 30 years (their anniversary would have been next week) had died was anyone's guess.

The phone rang and Sachiko said, "Now you try solving this one yourself Sayu." Soichiro held his breath (did he even need to breath? he was dead, wasn't he?) as Sachiko picked up the phone. "Mrs. Yagami, is that you? This is Aizawa, from the police station. I have some news for you. You might want to sit down."  
>"What? What is it? Is it about Soichiro? Kira? Did you catch him? Oh god, don't tell me it's about Soichiro..."<br>"I'm sorry to have to tell you this...Sachiko, your husband is dead..."  
>No, no, no... This can't be right... There must be a mistake... All of those thoughts flew through Sachiko's mind. But she didn't blurt them out. She just bit her lip and sighed deeply. "Aizawa... Are you sure of this? Are you certain?"<br>Aizawa bit his lip to keep himself from tearing up as he told Sachiko that yes, he was certain that Soichiro Yagami was dead. Sachiko wanted to scream. But she didn't. She stayed composed, for everyone's sake. Especially Soichiro's. She knew that he was watching over them, and she knew that he felt their pain.

Sachiko thought back to when her mother died. It was very difficult for her to stay composed back then too. But she did manage to keep herself together, somehow. And she knew then, as she knew now, that Soichiro shared her pain. So she held together for his sake.

Soichiro was observing all of this, and could hear, somehow, what Aizawa was saying. He was so proud of Sachiko for holding herself together at such a difficult time. "I'm really sorry for your loss, Sachiko. Just remember that we're as hurt by his death as you are. We're here for you."  
>Sachiko hung up. "Mom, who was it? What happened? Why are you...oh no...it isn't Light, is it? Did Kira kill him?"<br>Sachiko shook her head no. "Oh god... It's Dad, isn't it?"  
>Sachiko nodded. Sayu sobbed and hugged her mother.<p>

Soichiro could no longer bear to watch the people closest to him in such agony. He turned around and left the house as quickly as he came in. He wandered about aimlessly until he suddenly felt exceedingly tired. There was an empty park bench nearby, and he felt sleepy, and it was a warm, starry night. So he stretched out on the park bench and gazed up at the stars and contemplated the recent whirlwind of events. Soon, he fell asleep, arms crossed over his chest, looking perfectly at peace. Not at all like a man who had just gone through the most painful day in his life. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Death Note or Bleach...Curse you, Shonen Jump! My diabolical plan has been foiled again!

Soichiro almost reflexively rolled over when he woke up, and found himself sprawled face down in the dirt. For a moment, he was disoriented and confused, then the events of the last day or so flashed through his mind. He tried to stand up and, to his great surprise, a hand reached down to help him up. He grabbed it, appreciating any help he could get. He was shocked to find this hand attached to a tiny child scarcely reaching above his waist. She was about 3 and a half feet tall, with a cute, round face, a messy shock of bright pink hair, and a big mischievous grin. She wore a black kimono that reached all the way to her feet, and she had a tiny katana dragging on the ground attached to her belt. She shook Soichiro's hand, and said, "Hi Mister! What's your name?"  
>Soichiro was too flabbergasted to answer for a second. He slowly said, "Soichiro... Soichiro Yagami is my name. I'm the Chief of Police of Tokyo." She smiled cutely at him, and said, "That's such a nice name, Chiro! Mine's Yachiru. Wanna meet Kenny? He's really cool! He lets me ride on his back!"<p>

Soichiro was still surprised at what he had just seen and heard. He couldn't comprehend everything that had just happened. Before he could respond, Yachiru took matters into her own hands and dragged Soichiro with remarkable force and speed towards the other side of the park. He stumbled trying to keep up with this tiny, mysterious girl. She reminded him of Sayu, which sent a shock of pain through him. He could feel his family's pain all over again. His eyes were tearing up, and he was surprised at himself. He was frustrated at his own emotional weakness. He had to remain strong. He couldn't keep pitying himself.

Soichiro was shocked out of his contemplation by Yachiru's exclamation, "Look, Chiro-San! There's Kenny!" She pointed towards a massive figure in the distance. "Kenny," whoever he was, was really tall. He had spiked hair, what seemed to be an eyepatch, and, as Soichiro got a better view, what seemed to be numerous scars on his face. Once Yachiru stopped, Soichiro bent over, coughed, and gasped for breath. His chest hurt from running this long. He never should have taken up smoking... As he rose from his bent-over position, he saw a giant of a man. He looked tall from far away, but up close, he was definitely enormous. He towered at about 7 feet tall. He wore similar garb to Yachiru, and also had a large white cape draped across his back. He had a rough face, with a long scar across the eye that wasn't covered by the patch. His long, jet-black hair was formed into dozens of spikes, each one tipped with...a bell?

Yachiru seemed un-intimidated by this huge guy, jumping onto his shoulder effortlessly. "Kenny, this is my new friend, Chiro! He's really nice!"  
>"Nice to meet you." Kenny growled. "Ah..nice to meet you too," Soichiro stuttered. He had never felt this intimidated by one person before.<br>"My name's Kenpachi Zaraki. Yours?"  
>"Soichiro Yagami."<br>"Why're you so scared, Chiro? Kenny doesn't bite," Yachiru explained. "He looks a little scary, but he's really nice!"  
>"Got quite a lotta spiritual pressure, don'cha? You'll be comin with us," Kenpachi said gruffly. He wrapped an enormous arm around Soichiro's shoulder and shoved him along. "Going where?" Soichiro questioned, surprised. "Seireitei, silly!" Yachiru answered, cheerily popping up from behind Kenpachi's shoulder.<br>"And what, may I ask, is that?"  
>Kenpachi answered this time. "Seireitei is where good souls go after they leave their bodies."<br>"And what about the others?"  
>"Oh, those go to Hell." Yachiru responded chirpily. So he was a good soul. That was some comfort.<br>Kenpachi suddenly stopped, and pulled a katana from it's sheath. Soichiro spun around suddenly, jumped backwards, and reached for a gun he didn't have. He started panicking. He couldn't run. He was rooted in place by fear. He slowly kneeled down, resigned to his fate. Kenpachi gave him an odd look. "Why so scared, Chiro? Kenny won't hurt you!" Yachiru squeaked, giving him a pouting face.  
>Soichiro looked up and saw the figure of Kenpachi Zaraki towering over him. He felt a weight on his chest grow lighter. He looked at the chain attached to his chest, and saw about half of it suddenly rusting into a fine red dust. He breathed sharply in, and said, "All right, Zaraki. Do whatever you have to. I trust you." He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, savoring the crisp spring air. He felt something hard slamming into his forehead. He gasped, opened his eyes, and saw Kenpachi and Yachiru kneeling over him. He was on his back. Everything slowly faded to whiteness. A soft, clean white, like clouds in a summer sky. Soichiro could no longer sense anything. -<br>As he blinked his eyes open, the first thing that met his sight was the sun. He squinted and turned around. He saw a clump of grass, and a dandelion tickling his nose. He tried sitting up, and immediately regretted it. His back ached terribly. He just plowed through the pain, groaning. He had been through worse. He looked about, realizing that he was in a fresh green field, and that the sun was beating down on his head. He leaned back, resting on his elbows, and taking in the sights and sounds. He heard a dog barking in the distance.

After about 15 minutes of this, Soichiro decided that just sitting here wasn't going to do any good. Besides, he felt stir-crazy. He craved human company. With some effort, he stood up and brushed himself off. His clothing had changed, and the chain attached to his chest had disappeared without a trace. He touched the spot where it had been. It felt entirely normal. He was now wearing a navy blue hakama, a pure white gi, and a pitch black obi. He looked about him. To his right (east?) there were some rural houses. Up north there was what seemed to be a bustling town. To the west of that there was another town, ringed by a massive wall. Something told him that Kenpachi was most likely to be found to the west; he decided to travel in that direction. He stumbled down the hill. When he was at the bottom, he looked again towards the walled city. Was this Seireitei? He wondered. Soichiro was walking slowly with his hands in the pockets of his dark blue hakama when he glimpsed a figure approaching at lightning speed in the distance. At the same time, he noticed an enormous shadow covering him. It stretched out for a good 15 feet. Soichiro turned around, gasped, stumbled, and fell backwards. What he saw was more terrifying than Ryuk could ever be. It resembled Ryuk in coloration (black body, white head) and had a face that bore a disturbing resemblance to a human skull. Its body was spindly and black, reminding Soichiro of a spider. -  
>Just when Soichiro thought that he was done for, a tiny figure rushed past him, something gleaming in its hand. "Yachiru! No!" Soichiro shouted. Yachiru didn't answer. She simply flew towards the monster, katana in hand, slicing it clean in two. The Hollow (for that was what it was called) screeched terribly and disintegrated into tiny blue particles. Yachiru turned around and grinned at Soichiro's shocked expression. "See? Piece of cake!" Yachiru chirped. "Wh-what was that...thing? A Shinigami?"<br>Yachiru wrinkled her nose at Soichiro. "No, I'm a Shinigami! That thing was a Hollow. Hollows are bad. That's why we Shinigami fight them."  
>Soichiro was silent for a moment.<br>"Where's Kenpachi?"  
>"Oh, he's in Seireitei. I'll take you to him!"<br>Once more, Soichiro found himself being dragged along by Yachiru. As they arrived to the gated city, Soichiro's suspicions were confirmed. Yachiru pushed open a gate, and entered, along with Soichiro. He was amazed by the huge, bustling city that was filled with who seemed to be hundreds of Shinigami, of all appearances. Most were human, while some looked not quite human. One had a disturbing face that seemed to be painted in a black and white pattern. Soichiro quickly averted his gaze. Yachiru pulled him along towards a building that resembled an old-style karate dojo. The tiny Shinigami opened the door and Soichiro found himself inside a dojo with tatami mats, and about 10 Shinigami sitting down, waiting their turn to spar. Kenpachi and a bald Shinigami with odd red markings at the corners of his eyes were sparring with wooden swords. Another Shinigami with bright red hair tied back into a ponytail motioned for him to sit. He leaned in close and whispered to him, "New here, ain't ya?"  
>Soichiro nodded.<br>The Shinigami gave him a hand to shake and told him, "Nice to meet ya. Name's Renji Abarai, lieutenant of squad 6. You?"  
>"I'm Soichiro Yagami, chief of police of Tokyo."<br>"You're really new here, eh? Still talkin as if yer in the human world? What squad you in? Squad 11?"  
>Soichiro didn't know how to answer. "You ain't in a squad yet? Mmmm... That's OK. You'll find your place soon enough."<br>Soichiro murmured to Renji, "What squads are there?"  
>"Well, there's Squad 1, that's the elite squad, squad 2 is the stealth force, squad 3 are a bunch a pansies, squad 4 is the med squad, squad 5 are the intel division, squad 6 is my squad, squad 7 is pretty good all-round...squad 8 is a bunch of slackers...squad 9 is the security for this place, squad 10 gets all the paperwork dumped on em, squad 11 is Kenpachi's squad...they're combat crazy, squad 12 is the R&amp;D division, it's headed by some freak who's always experimenting, and squad 13 is Ukitake's squad. He's a real softy, but don't underestimate his fighting ability."<br>"But...aren't those Shinigami squads? I'm not a Shinigami..."  
>"Ya aren't? Well, I shoulda guessed, seeing as you don't have a Zanpakuto."<br>"Zanpakuto?"  
>"It's a fancy name for a Shinigami sword. Every Shinigami has to have one."<br>"How would one go about getting a Zanpakuto?"  
>"Ahh, now this is the interesting bit. You don't just 'get' a Zanpakuto. The Zanpakuto chooses you."<br>Soichiro mulled over this for a moment.  
>"How come you mistook me for a Shinigami at first?"<br>"Well, your Reiatsu greatly resembles a Shinigami's."  
>"My...Reiatsu?"<br>"Yeah, that's like your spiritual fingerprint. Everyone has a unique Reiatsu. Shinigami and non-Shinigami have different types of Reiatsu. Your Reiatsu is definitely that of a Shinigami. A strong one."  
>"Can you sense my personality from my Reiatsu?"<br>"Sure as hell can. You're a confident person, you want to protect those you love, you're proud of your son, ya don't mind injury or death for a good cause, you believe in the importance of following the law in word and spirit, and...you've never killed or purposefully injured a single soul in your life. How's that?"  
>Soichiro pulled back from Renji. "How...what...you know...everything about me!"<br>"It's plain as day. You don't lie, you don't cheat, you believe in the inherent goodness of people, you suspect your son of maybe, just maybe being a mass murderer..."  
>"Stop! Enough! That's too much! That isn't right!"<br>"Your Reiatsu doesn't lie."  
>In Soichiro Yagami's mind, thoughts were tumbling. (I know he isn't Kira, he can't be, I don't suspect him, he has to be innocent, he's my son, MY son goddamnit, I can't think shit like this about him...)<br>Renji smirked. Soichiro threw his head back and sighed. "You're right, as much as I hate to admit it."  
>"Next set: Renji Abarai, lieutenant of Squad 6 vs. Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute Soul Reaper of Karakura, Japan!"<br>"That's my match. Good meetin ya...Soichiro."  
>"You too, Renji." Soichiro called after him as he strode into the ring. "Fancy seein you here, eh Soichiro? Ya don't look like the kinda guy for a fight, so I guess you're coming here 'cause li'l Yachiru here dragged you along. Am I right?" Kenpachi grumbled. Soichiro nodded. "It's bout one o'clock now, so I'll be getting back to work, and Ikkaku here," at this, he pointed at his sparring partner, "will show you round. I'm willin to bet you'll make a one in a million Shinigami, Soichiro."<br>Soichiro felt himself swell a little with pride at being called one in a million by a squad captain. However, he humbled himself, and said, "That's too kind of you."  
>"What, ya think I'm bullshitting ya? I never do that kinda thing. Ya really are special, Soichiro. I'm glad I got my hands on you before anyone else did."<br>Soichiro simply bowed and thanked Kenpachi. Ikkaku sauntered up to Soichiro after Kenpachi left and gave him a wide grin. "We got a fresh guy here, eh? Let's show you the ropes."  
>For about 6 hours, Ikkaku gave Soichiro a tour of the Seireitei, and the other districts outside the Shinigami military town. They stopped for lunch along the way, in a tiny restaurant that gave Soichiro an acid-sharp memory. <p>


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not, and most likely will not, ever, own Death Note and/or Bleach. Why do I have to write this stupid disclaimer again?  
>Lawyer: Because we'll sue your brains out if you don't!<br>Sasaki-San: All right, all right! I'll write it!

The night he had proposed to Sachiko, they had dined at a tiny sushi restaurant just like this one. And that memory brought back another. His anniversary would be in 6 days, and Sachiko wouldn't be celebrating then, she would be mourning. His whole family would be mourning. His death was his own fault. If he hadn't placed the value of someone else's life above his, he would be alive and Mello-Mihael Keehl-would be dead. Could he have...no, would he have killed Mello if he'd known the consequences of not doing it? He thought for a moment. No. He couldn't be so...heartless. So cold. He always thought of people's lives. Families. His thoughts returned to his own family. How would they ever manage without him? He knew they would, but how?

Soichiro's shoulders rose and fell in a sob. He was half bent over the outdoors table he and Ikkaku were eating at, and he, a grown man 54 years of age, was sobbing, crying. He had never cried since he was a child. He barely shed a tear during his day to day life. But now, after his death, he was. He couldn't believe himself.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and Ikkaku growling at him. "Pull yourself together, man! Imagine what it'll do to my reputation as the tough guy of Seireitei if I'm seen with a sobbing wreck like you! Snap out of it!"  
>Soichiro sat up abruptly. "You've never had someone depend almost entirely on you, have you? Because that's what I had when I was alive. Responsibilities. You don't have that, do you Ikkaku? That's why you think I'm pathetic. You don't know what I've been through."<br>Ikkaku sighed. "I'll be over there by that tree. Get yourself over here when you're done pitying your pathetic self."  
>Soichiro slumped in his chair and sighed. "Waiter, more sake please!"<p>

After about an hour, Soichiro was too inebriated to make much sense. Ikkaku hauled him off to Squad 4's sickbay to recover from his drunken stupor. "Hey Ikkaku, those the bunks?"  
>"Wrong. That's the sickbay and you're going there. I'll tell Isane to drop you off tomorrow morning."<br>Ikkaku shoved Soichiro roughly into the sickbay. Soichiro stumbled, tripped, and fell face-first into a table. "That's what you get for getting drunk and throwing up in a garbage can while I'm hitting on a cute girl, you big oaf!"  
>Soichiro blacked out from the combination of smashing his jaw into a metal table, falling backwards and hitting his head on the tiled floor, and being exhausted and drunk. He didn't even feel a Shinigami medic lift him up and place him in a bed.<p>

He dreamed of his death, over and over and over, until he woke up in the middle of the night, sweating and breathing rapidly. He slowly let himself slip back into a troubled sleep... Not even in death was there rest for Soichiro Yagami's troubled soul.

He woke up with a throbbing headache. He felt so weak and...pathetic and unbecoming of the title of Police Chief of Tokyo or of Shinigami or of even the title of Father. He felt so ashamed of himself. He was truly despicable in his own eyes to try drowning his sorrows in sake. Ikkaku was right about him. Soichiro Yagami sighed and rubbed his eyes. He longed for...a normal life. Just being at home with his wife and children would comfort him. Even seeing their faces would be some relief. He craved the mundane. A boring day at work, taking a shower, sleeping in his own bed. The old saying that you didn't quite appreciate things until you lost them was too true.

Soichiro Yagami just now wished that he could turn the clock back, shoot Mello, write the name, be done with it, live with that guilt rather than this pain. But he held on. He knew that this was wishful thinking. He couldn't go back, no matter how much he wanted to...right? Right? Or was all this a bad nightmare? (If only!) Soichiro sighed deeply and thought of what to do next. Maybe...if he could...no. Stop trying to go back, Soichiro. It won't be the same. It was impossible for him to go back. He would have to accept this change, and besides, he had a fresh start to look forward to. He knew he couldn't let everything go at once, but this was an opportunity for him to start all over again and maybe do things right. Maybe this was for the better.

So he had decided. He would let go of his old life and accept whatever this new one threw at him.

A young lady with short, tousled sky-blue hair, light skin, and a slim frame knocked on the half-open door.  
>"Mr. Yagami? I'm Isane Kotetsu. I'll be taking you back to Squad 11 barracks."<br>"All right, Isane."

The Squad 11 barracks were just a few minutes away from the Squad 4 sickbays. In those few minutes, Soichiro explained the story of how he died and wound up in Seireitei. She seemed piqued by the fact that he had been investigating the Kira case. "Do you think you were killed by Kira?" Isane puzzled. "No, I'm fairly certain I wasn't. Your face seems familiar... From a police case?"  
>Isane laughed. "I was killed by some crazy 'friend' of mine. He ran his car into my motorbike when he was drunk out of his mind. Kira avenged me. Now that punk's rotting in Hell. Kira's my hero."<br>Soichiro was mortified. "You... like Kira?"  
>Isane just smiled. "Of course I do! Kira is doing the world a favor. He's getting rid of all the people who are committing crimes. At this rate, nobody will do anything wrong. Oh, Captain Unohana's gonna get mad at me if I hang around too long. I'll see you later, maybe on my break! Bye!"<br>Soichiro was still chewing over this new piece of information. He didn't want to consider how many people in Seireitei supported Kira... Right now, Soichiro wanted to work. He felt himself getting less and less mentally sharp. He needed to keep his edge. He went through the list of squads in his mind...which squad would have something for him to do? After some soul-searching, he decided on Squad 9, the security force for Seireitei.

He jogged over to Squad 9's building. It wasn't difficult to spot, as it was also the Art and Culture squad, and was accordingly decorated. Posters for each squad were lined up on the wall, each one featuring the captain and lieutenant of the squad, and some with other squad members. As he entered, he ran into a frustrated Shinigami exiting. He was tall, slim, well-tanned, and had an odd stripe tattoo on the left side of his face. "You people can't even file papers right! How can I expect you to help me solve a case? Hey, you, new guy. You look smart. Ya wanna do something for me? I'll make it worth your while."  
>Soichiro was at first surprised at the abruptness of the request, but he quickly regained his composure. "What is it you need done?"<br>"Just file that stack of evidence. Izuru there will tell ya how to do it," he grumbled, pointing at a yellow-haired Shinigami with floppy hair, green eyes and a depressed face. Izuru's expression was no surprise, considering he was up to his neck, literally, in papers, folders, and books. "Alright, I'll do that."  
>"And don't shred anything! These are our originals!"<p>

3 hours later...

"Finally! Someone who's competent! Who didn't shred half the files we told him to file!" Izuru exclaimed.  
>Soichiro was leaning back in his chair, exhausted, but satisfied. He had been filing evidence for 3 hours straight. He had been able to mentally work through many of the cases as he filed their evidence. When the tattooed Shinigami came back, Soichiro reported his conclusions, and he was pleased when the lanky, tattooed man broke into a wide grin. "You're a lifesaver! We need someone like you on our squad. What's your name?"<br>"Soichiro Yagami, sir. Former Tokyo Chief of Police, at your service."

Damn, it had been a long time since he had said that.

"Chief of Police, eh? Well, I'm Shuuhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of Squad 9. Pleased to meet you." He gave Soichiro a firm handshake. Soichiro felt genuinely happy for the first time in ages. He had found somewhere where he felt he belonged.

For the next few days, Soichiro worked on a few mostly-complete cases that were laying around Shuuhei's office. By one week in, Soichiro had gotten into a routine of sorts. He would wake up at about 6:45 am, wash up, eat something, and get to work early, at around 7:30. Not having to commute was a definite perk to working in Seireitei, Soichiro thought. He'd work from 7:30 to 8 by himself, and from 8 to 12 with the rest of Squad 9. From 12 to 1, there would be a break for lunch, during which Soichiro tried to loosen up. He wasn't used to being so open and friendly with people he'd been working with for such a short time. However, he eventually got into a habit of going to a certain sushi shop with Isane, and each of them discussing their work. Soichiro's and Isane's jobs often overlapped, as Squad 4 was also responsible for autopsies. After his lunch break, Soichiro would return to the office, and work on compiling case reports into the evening. He enjoyed having something to do that provided a benefit to others. He hated working without knowing that his effort had a good cause behind it. And what was a better cause than executing justice? 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Death. Note. Or. Bleach. This should be fairly obvious by now. Why won't you evil lawyers leave me alone?  
>Lawyer: Destroy. Destroy. Destroy.<br>Sasaki-San: Stoooooop! NOOOOOOO! I'll WRITE IT!

By Soichiro's 4th week of work, a new case arrived. The circumstances were as follows. A Shinigami had disappeared with barely a trace on the outer edges of Seireitei. Nobody could sense any traces of Reiatsu. Everything-his clothes, his Zanpakuto-had disappeared. The only evidence that pointed to him being there were a few hairs on the ground, his footprints in the muddy ground, and an identification badge that was soaked in muddy water. No blood, no Reiatsu remnants. The person who had disappeared was a new Shinigami. He had arrived in Seireitei after being killed by Yakuza in a Kyoto jail. He was also a falsely-accused murderer who had been proven innocent post-mortem. His name was Kenji Sasaki, age 29, 5'11", black hair, blue eyes, light skin. Soichiro had a feeling that Kira might have something to do with his disappearance, but he needed more information. He would have to go to the Research and Development Squad for help.

Soichiro Yagami went to the Squad 12 labs on his lunch break. It was quite a walk to get there, and Soichiro wondered if maybe he should've asked for directions. His legs ached, and his gi was soaked through with sweat. He ran into a slim, white-haired Shinigami wearing a white captain's cape and a slightly disturbing grin, and waved at him. "Excuse me, Shinigami-taicho! Do you know where the Squad 12 labs are?"  
>"Why would you ever want to know that? The labs are headed by a nutty scientist who wouldn't give a second thought to experimenting on you."<br>"I'm working with Squad 9 on a Shinigami disappearance case. I need Squad 12's help."  
>"Oh, well. Shame you want to die so badly...and such a promising young Shinigami. Anyway, the labs are over there."<br>"Thank you."  
>The white haired Shinigami walked away slowly, hands in his kimono cuffs.<br>Soichiro followed the captain's directions, and eventually arrived at a large warehouse. It appeared to be dark, except for the cold glow of displays providing an icy light. Soichiro mustered up as much toughness as he could, and opened the metal door.

He wasn't dead yet. That was a relief.

There were dozens of screens forming a large array, with a few Shinigami observing them. As he opened the door, one of them grumbled, "Whaddya want?", without so much as looking at him. "I'm with Squad 9, and I'm investigating the disappearance of a Shinigami at the outer borders of Seireitei. I'd like to know if there are any conditions under which a Shinigami could disappear without a trace of Reiatsu."  
>"Yeah, I read the case, prob'ly a Hollow got him."<br>"Wouldn't there be some evidence if a Hollow appeared?"  
>"Not if the Hollow was powerful enough to suppress its own Reiatsu. Maybe a Vasto Lorde."<br>"A...Vasto Lorde?"  
>"Yep. That's the most powerful form of Hollow. Only a few of em are known to exist."<br>"If it is a Vasto Lorde, what would the consequences of that be?"  
>"It'll probably go for the easy pickings, like maybe you."<br>Soichiro was shaken, but kept his composure.  
>"And why would it go for me?"<br>"Mainly cause you don't have a Zanpakuto. And if it goes for you, it'll probably go for anyone around you too."  
>At this, Soichiro felt a pain shoot through him.<br>(Isane...Yachiru...Ikkaku...Renji...Oh god...this is all my fault, isn't it? Why am I so helpless? So useless!)  
>"Another thing to consider is that a Vasto Lorde can fight on even ground with a Squad Captain. It wouldn't have a bit of trouble with a lieutenant."<br>Soichiro slumped against the wall, sweating. He couldn't believe his luck. He had just gotten over his own death, and the pain his friends were feeling. He couldn't bear the thought of losing the people who had eased him into this new world without even a fight.  
>"How do I obtain a Zanpakuto?"<br>"Ehh, it's easy. Ya just gotta imagine the inside of your soul. When you got that down, you just need to focus and let yourself go from the outside world. Ya might black out for a while, so best to do it in your bunk. Oh, and one more thing. Ya gotta respect your Zanpakuto. Don't even think about bossing it around."  
>"Thank you...thank you so much."<br>"Don't mention it."

Soichiro stumbled into Squad 9's barracks. He sat on the edge of his bunk, and followed the Shinigami's instructions, word for word. He visualized his soul as an abandoned Tokyo highway in the middle of the night, during a rainstorm.

He blacked out.

When he came to, he was laying on his back, soaked thoroughly with cool spring rain. Drops splashed on his face, glasses, hands, chest. As if the sky were crying. His hair was dripping wet. He sighed and stood up. He was standing in a pool of orange light created by a streetlight. He looked about him. His inner soul was just as he had visualized it.

He heard footsteps approach him suddenly from behind. He turned around to find a young man, no older than Light, standing in front of him. He wore a white dress shirt with the top button open, the way Light often dressed, black jeans, and had a shock of straight, pale blue hair, a few strands of which were dangling in front of his steel gray eyes.  
>"What brings you to my realm, Soichiro Yagami?"<br>"I need your help in protecting people whom I care about."  
>"And what, exactly, gives you the idea that I would want to help such a miserably pathetic person as yourself?"<br>"I am begging you. I only ask for you to give me an opportunity to prove my worth to you."  
>The man walked over to the side of the road and picked up two katanas. He threw one to Soichiro, and took one for himself. He then unsheathed his blade.<br>"I will duel you. Once you prove yourself able to defeat me, I will lend you my strength. If you fail...let's just say you won't get another chance."  
>"Very well then. Let us begin."<p>

Soichiro drew his blade. Before it was entirely out of its sheath, he felt cold steel cut against his right arm, blood splattering from the fresh wound.  
>"The next time, a mistake like this will be deadly, Soichiro," he heard the blade spirit warning him.<br>Soichiro completed unsheathing his blade. He flew at the Zanpakuto spirit with speed that surprised even himself.

The two blades connected with white-hot sparks.

Soichiro disconnected his blade, and swung again. The Zanpakuto seemed taken aback at the ferocious nature of this seemingly kind, gentle man's swipe.

He bent backwards and swept at Soichiro's legs with his own, leaning on his hands for support. Soichiro jumped backwards, avoiding the swipe. He struck back at the Zanpakuto, his blade's tip cutting a groove into the smooth, jet-black asphalt. The Zanpakuto deftly blocked, swiveling on his arms to deflect the blow with his katana. The Zanpakuto flipped from back to stomach, and pushed himself up with remarkable deftness. He stabbed directly at Soichiro's chest. Soichiro rotated his body, and blocked the strike with his own blade. Soichiro countered by slicing downwards, towards the Zanpakuto's legs.

The Zanpakuto twisted his arm at a nigh-impossible angle, pushing away Soichiro's blade. However, the damage was inevitable. The point of Soichiro's katana cut at the Zanpakuto's shin, splashing blood into the pooling rainwater. The blade spirit swung viciously upwards at Soichiro, who reacted by leaning backwards onto his arms, and kicking at the injured leg.

The Zanpakuto howled in agony, falling onto his back.

Soichiro held the point of his blade to the Zanpakuto's neck. The blade spirit broke into a soft chuckle.  
>"Impressive, for someone who's never even wielded a blade before. I think I'll loan you my powers... Yagami-San."<br>Soichiro pulled the Zanpakuto up from the rain puddle that was mixing with his blood.  
>"What's your name, by the way?"<br>"It's Seigi no Kaze."  
>A beautiful name, Soichiro thought. It meant, "Wind of Justice."<br>Seigi was striding off into the distance, as if his leg was in perfect condition. "Remember, Soichiro. To call upon me, just say 'Strike and protect with the speed of the wind, Seigi no Kaze,' and I'll come to your aid, no matter how dire the situation. My power can help defend your friends, and obliterate your enemies. But you can only call upon me for a just cause. Remember that."

The corners of Soichiro's lips curled up slightly, and he bowed to Seigi no Kaze in thanks.  
> <p>


	5. Chapter 5

Yet Another Useless Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, nor Bleach. Will you leave me alone now, lawyer-sama?  
>Lawyer: No.<br>Sasaki-San: :'(

Soichiro Yagami sat up suddenly in his bunk. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was 2:30! He was supposed to have been at work for an hour and a half! He grumbled, rubbed at the stubble on his face, and stuffed his Zanpakuto, which was now in the form of a katana with a steel gray sheath and a navy blue handle, into his belt. Then, he dashed off to Squad 9 headquarters.

"Finally! We've been looking for you everywhere, Soichiro. We were worried that maybe whatever got that other Shinigami had nailed you," Shuuhei shouted.  
>"Yes, where were you, Soichiro? We needed you here!" Izuru exclaimed.<br>Soichiro recounted the events that resulted in his being delayed.  
>"Huh...well, I suppose that it's excusable. This time. At any rate, you got a good lead. We'll have Squad 12 make some devices to suppress Reiatsu, and you'll be in charge of distributing them to new Shinigami," Shuuhei said.<br>"Yes, vice-captain, sir!" Soichiro saluted.  
>"No need to call me 'sir', it's really too stiff and formal. You'll probably be a ranked officer soon anyway, and then you'll have people callin you sir."<br>"All right, Shuuhei-San. I'll get right on the distribution of these devices."  
>"Good."<p>

Soichiro walked to the Shinigami academy grounds, and glanced about at all the fresh, hopeful faces of young Shinigami, most of them what could be considered college-age in the human world. He realized that all tof these people had high Reiatsu, were almost entirely inexperienced, and very few of them had mastered their Zanpakuto's power. He put up posters (now he knew why the Security squad also doubled as an art and culture squad!) guiding Shinigami to go to Squad 9 headquarters to get a free Reiatsu-shielding device, "To protect you and your friends from Hollow attacks!", as the poster proclaimed. Soichiro somehow doubted that too many of the students would actually come to pick one up.

Over the next 3 weeks, there were 3 more disappearances, all of them Shinigami who had just graduated from the Academy. Soichiro put up more announcements. He gave a speech at the Academy. The entire squad pitched in, giving talks, hosting safety classes, spreading the word to other squads. Soichiro even began wearing a Reiatsu suppressor himself.

The disappearances stopped.

It seemed that whatever had been kidnapping Shinigami had stopped. But Soichiro still felt uneasy. He felt as if it had been somehow a result of his arrival in Seireitei that all of these Shinigami had disappeared, that maybe there was someone who wanted to find him, and was looking at Shinigami in the academy, trying to pick him out. Whatever it was, it didn't have much experience detecting Reiatsu. Soichiro read through all the books he could find about Vasto Lordes in his free time. He noted that it would take hundreds of years for a normal Hollow to reach the level of Vasto Lorde. He also read that some high-level Hollows could be turned into Espada, or maskless Hollows with Shinigami powers. However, all of the Espada had been destroyed years ago.

Something that piqued Soichiro's interest was the possibility of Hollowfication, or a Shinigami gaining Hollow powers by conquering their inner Hollow. He wanted to know more, so he searched for the supposed expert on the topic, Ichigo Kurosaki. He remembered that Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad 6, had been sparring with him.

Soichiro decided to take one of his off days to find Renji, and thus, Ichigo. The Squad 6 barracks were elegantly designed, with cherry-blossom patterns on the paper-covered sliding doors. He found the offices entirely abandoned, but he heard a loud voice that sounded like Renji's coming from the Captain's room. He decided to investigate. He rapped on the door's wooden frame.  
>"Come in," a quiet, but firm voice said.<br>Soichiro slid open the door. He found a Squad Captain with long, black hair, reaching to his shoulders, wearing a white scarf around his neck, holding his red-haired, tatttoed Lieutenant-Renji Abarai-by the collar.  
>"This will be the last time you fail me, Renji. Go find Rukia Kuchiki. Immediately. I will deal with this man."<br>"Let...Go! I'm choking!" Renji gasped.  
>The captain let go of Renji, who subsequently slinked out of the room.<br>"What do you want?"  
>Soichiro was still surprised at this captain's violence, so he decided to keep it simple and not ask about Renji.<br>"I'm looking for Ichigo Kurosaki. Would you happen to know where he is?"  
>"That boy? He's most likely in the human world. He isn't a proper Shinigami. He's just a normal human with Soul Reaper abilities. What would you ever want with him?"<br>"I would like to know about Hollowfication. I suspect that the recent disappearances of Shinigami may have something to do with a powerful Hollow, or a Hollowfied Shinigami."  
>"Hollowfication is forbidden for all Shinigami. If a Shinigami were to Hollowfy, he would be immediately sentenced to removal from Seireitei, and if he refused, he would be sentenced to death."<br>"But hasn't Ichigo Hollowfied?"  
>"As I mentioned before, he isn't a proper Shinigami. Now enough of your foolish questions. Get out of my office. Now."<br>Soichiro bowed, took a few steps back, and ran as soon as he was out of the Captain's sight. That captain simply struck cold fear into Soichiro's heart. He was, if at all possible, more terrifying than Kenpachi.  
>When he returned to Squad 9, he found a note on his desk. It read, "I'm coming for you, Soichiro. -L"<p>

Soichiro stepped backwards in shock. He couldn't believe it. L...Ryuuzaki? Or L, as in, Light Yagami? His own son? Who could get into his office without any of the other Shinigami noticing?  
>"Something the matter, Soichiro?" Izuru asked, with concern in his voice.<br>"Ya look kinda pale. Maybe you should sit down." This was Shuuhei. The world seemed to be spinning. Soichiro collapsed into his chair. He felt as if he had been stabbed through the heart. He put a hand to his chest, just to make sure his own heart hadn't stopped beating. He was breathing rapidly, and drops of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Protect me, Seigi no Kaze."

He felt the pain in his chest lighten immediately. His breathing slowed a little. He ran a hand through his hair. He mopped up the sweat on his forehead with the cuff of his gi.  
>"Hey, maybe you should go home, get some rest. Ya don't look so hot, Soichiro." Shuuhei's expression was one of concern as he said this.<br>"No...no, I'm fine. Just...had a little shock there, that's all."  
>"Hm, what's this note?" Shuuhei snatched it off of Soichiro's desk.<br>"Interesting..." Izuru murmured as he leaned over Shuuhei's shoulder, reading the note.  
>"Sounds like either a death threat, or a joke made in horrible taste." Shuuhei growled.<br>"Soichiro, go to the barracks. That's an order. You take the rest of today off. We don't want you killing yourself with stress."  
>"Yes, Vice-Captain."<p>

Soichiro slumped into a chair in his small room. It had a chair, desk, bed, and a window with shutters that opened onto the street. He leaned his head back and sighed. Why would L send him a death threat? It was out of his character. L wouldn't do that kind of crazy thing. Why would Light? His own son! What would drive Light to do something that depraved? Light wasn't dead, was he? No...he couldn't be...Dead? A Hollow? A Vasto Lorde? No...not Light. Not his Light. The Light Yagami he knew would not threaten his own father. He loved Light. He always had. He couldn't imagine Light turning on him like this. But there was the possibility. There was always the possibility. Light was not difficult to anger. He was easily provoked, but he kept a lid on his emotions. He covered it up with a mask. Like a Hollow...no. No. No! NO! Soichiro didn't want to think about it. But, as Ryuuzaki would've said, it's still a possibility. He had to remain objective. He couldn't give into his emotions so easily. He wouldn't be able to protect his friends. His allies. If he gave into his emotions, he'd have lost already. He couldn't let himself lose, for his friends' sake. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and whispered, "Protect, Seigi no Kaze. Protect whomever needs it the most." 


	6. Chapter 6

Yay! Epic battle chapter!  
>I still don't own Bleach or Death Note. Please take the gun away from my head, Lawyer-Sama... D:<p>He awoke laying face down on hot, dry Tarmac. There was a sharp groove, which his fingers ran through. He remembered his struggle to gain the respect of Seigi no Kaze. He knew that this was the same place, without even getting up. When he stood, he found Seigi no Kaze standing in front of him, tapping his foot impatiently. He was holding a blade by his side. He cracked a grin when he saw that Soichiro's arm was still bleeding from their last fight. Soichiro touched the wound, and winced. He tore off a piece of his gi, and wrapped the wound with the pure white cloth. As he bandaged his injury, the blood slowly seeped into the clean white cloth, coloring it a bright red. The color of his heart. He pulled his katana from its sheath, and sprinted at Seigi no Kaze, blade screaming through the air. The Zanpakuto simply raised his hand, and blocked the man's attack with his index finger.<br>Soichiro's eyes widened.  
>Seigi no Kaze flicked his finger, sending Soichiro flying into a building with a violent crash.<br>Soichiro's entire body was shot through with pain. Every bone in his body felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. As if his skeletal structure was composed entirely of glass shards. Even breathing caused unbelievable pain.

Seigi no Kaze disappeared for a moment, and reappeared right next to Soichiro's unconscious form. He lifted him from the ground, hefting his unconscious form over his shoulder effortlessly. He walked back to where the sword spirit's blood had spilled onto the asphalt. Where they had first battled. Where Soichiro had taken on his Zanpakuto's challenge. He laid the Shinigami's form onto the ground.  
>Soichiro was barely aware of being laid down onto the hot asphalt. He felt his body slowly mending. The pain disappeared. His consciousness returned in its entirety. He opened his eyes, and saw the Zanpakuto standing over him. He had a somber look to his eyes.<br>Soichiro raised himself from the black road.  
>"This is the sort of power you're up against, Soichiro. Your weakness is in your inability to respond to the unexpected, to adapt to an unpredictable foe. Your attacks are so...traditional. When you fought me the first time, you caught me off guard. Now, you're being predictable. You're too straightforward. If you attack, you have to bluff, and then hit where he doesn't expect you to. You have to take chances, risk it all and go for the win. You can't play by the book. If you want to protect your friends you have to change your game. Keep adapting. Stay one step ahead. Never let your emotions get in the way of doing what you need to. If an enemy taunts you, you have to ignore it. If he does something unexpected, counter with your own unpredictability. Don't make your moves known. Keep them to yourself. Never repeat the same attack. Keep varying your patterns. Block and attack. Advance while guarding. Attack with your sheath. Use your weight to your advantage. And never, ever, drop your guard."<br>Seigi no Kaze appeared directly to the right of Soichiro. He swept at Soichiro's chest with his blade, and Soichiro deflected the blow with his sword's hilt. He counterattacked by swinging his sword about and slashing at the blade spirit's stomach.  
>Seigi no Kaze dodged backwards.<br>"Good, but you need to disguise your actions."  
>Soichiro stabbed at Seigi no Kaze, and when Seigi no Kaze attempted to swipe away to defend, Soichiro rotated around Seigi no Kaze, stabbing at his right arm, and quickly retracting.<br>The Zanpakuto clenched his teeth, grabbed his sheath and stabbed it into Soichiro's gut. The wind was knocked out of the Shinigami. Soichiro recovered quickly, rolling backwards to avoid Seigi no Kaze's vicious swipe. Soichiro held his katana horizontally, one hand on the hilt, and another on the back of the blade, and charged at Seigi no Kaze. The Zanpakuto spirit moved sideways at the last moment, holding his blade vertically to protect from Soichiro's attack. The Shinigami turned around as soon as he reached Seigi no Kaze, threw a lightning-quick punch into his back, and while he was reeling, placed him into a chokehold with one hand holding the katana to his neck, and another holding his uninjured left arm.

A grin spread across the Zanpakuto's face.

"Well, it seems that you've got me nailed." The Zanpakuto gave a soft chuckle, and dropped his sword. Soichiro released him from his chokehold. Seigi no Kaze smiled and nodded at Soichiro.  
>"You appear to have what it takes to fight a tricky, devious enemy. I'm impressed with you, Soichiro. I never thought someone as straightforward and...simple as you could be this capable of a combatant."<p>

Seigi no Kaze turned his his back to Soichiro, and walked away.

"Remember that you can't rely entirely on my strength. I'm only as strong as you believe me to be."

Soichiro opened his eyes. He looked around. He saw his room in the Squad 9 barracks. He felt his arm. It was fine. Nothing was broken. His gi was intact. Everything was as it was before his battle with Seigi no Kaze. He breathed in relief, which was suddenly cut short when he heard an alarm blare over the barracks' loudspeaker.

"All Shinigami, be advised! There is a Vasto Lorde entering Seireitei! He is armed and highly dangerous! If spotted, do not attempt to engage him without the aid of a squad captain! I repeat, do not engage him!"  
>Soichiro leapt out of his chair and slammed his bunk door open.<br>He rushed to the offices of Squad 9. The office was in shambles. There was no trace of either Izuru or Shuuhei. Soichiro searched more. No. They weren't here. He heard a shout in the distance, and he took off towards the source.

What he saw terrified him.

There was a Vasto Lorde with the upper-right area of his face covered by a bony white mask resembling a human skull. He had auburn hair streaked with black, brown eyes, pale skin, and a face with a shocking resemblance to Light Yagami's. He was wearing a white Vasto Lorde robe, and had a black sword with a white sheath. He was fighting Shuuhei Hisagi, who was completely outmatched.

"Reap, Kazeshini."

Shuuhei Hisagi's Zanpakuto transformed from a katana blade into an entirely new weapon. It consisted of two spiked rods, each one with two curved blades on it's end. The rods were connected by a black chain.  
>Shuuhei grasped the Zanpakuto from the center of its chain. He spun it rapidly, moving it closer and closer to the Hollow.<br>Light Yagami sneered.  
>"You think that pathetic weapon will do something to me? You couldn't even kill a fly with that thing."<br>Light grabbed onto the spiked rod, tossing both Shuuhei and his Zanpakuto effortlessly. He slammed violently into a wall and collapsed. "So much for that weakling Shinigami. Let's see if you're any better...father." The Hollow said this last word with a condescending smirk.

Soichiro was boiling with rage. He pulled his Zanpakuto from its sheath.  
>"Strike and protect with the speed of wind, Seigi no Kaze."<br>His sword dissolved into snowy powder, which reformed into two sleek silver blades, connected with a long glowing white chain.  
>Light Yagami laughed obnoxiously.<br>"That all you've got, old man? Looks like you're all bark and no bite."

Soichiro steeled himself. His eyes glowed a cold bluish grey color. The color of a thunderstorm brewing in a summer sky.  
>He flew at Light, pelting him with a flurry of slashes and stabs, most of which Light deftly blocked. A few connected, however, and when he was hit, Light winced in agony, due to the electrical effect of Soichiro's Zanpakuto. Light slashed back at his father, who almost reflexively blocked the strike with one of his own. Sparks arced between the clashing blades, making a sound like thunder.<p>

Light kicked Soichiro in the gut, and he was sent flying backwards. He hit a wall, fell on his hands and knees, and saw a trickle of blood. He stood up, grasping his Zanpakuto. The hilt was dripping with blood, and a small portion of the chain was entirely red with the warm fluid. He slowed his rapid breathing, and then stabbed at Light's chest, only at the last moment moving to strike at his legs, which rendered Light's upwards sweeping block useless. Light's right leg was slashed. He lashed out, striking with his sword at Soichiro's shoulder. The blade embedded itself in Soichiro's left shoulder, cutting through muscles and tendons before hitting bone. Soichiro grunted in pain. More blood dripped from the sword's hilt. Now the chain was about a quarter of the way covered. This was not looking good. Soichiro swiped at Light's blade, knocking it out of his shoulder with a trail of blood following it. While Light's arm was up, Soichiro sliced at it with his other hand, cutting deep into Light's flesh.  
>"You...you...Bastard! How dare you!" Light screamed.<br>"Light. Please...just stop. Before you're killed. I don't want to have to do this to you, Light. " The icy glow was fading from Soichiro's eyes, and he felt strangely tired.  
>"Pah! You couldn't even kill Mello to save your own life! How could you ever kill me?"<br>"I will do what I need to in order to protect the lives of innocents, which you don't seem to mind taking." The flare rose back into his eyes.  
>Light's eyes widened, then he grinned.<br>"Oh, so you figured it was me, then, father? I never thought an idiot like you would even consider such a possibility. I'm Kira now, not Light. I'll be back to finish you off, Soichiro."  
>While saying this, Light tore open a dark hole in space, passing through it. As it closed with a screech, Light shot Soichiro a disturbing grin.<br>As the adrenaline receded from Soichiro's system, he collapsed on the dirty ground, his wounded shoulder spilling a line of blood as he fell. As he hit the ground, he thought. What had come over him that caused him to fight so viciously? He would never normally strike at anyone, let alone his own son. What caused him to be so...violent? It was almost as if he enjoyed seeing the blood spill when he wounded Light. It was a strange bloodlust, and it chilled Soichiro to his very heart. He heard voices, and someone picking him up and laying him on a stretcher...As he blacked out, he thought of Hollows. Did he have one inside him? Was it what had taken over when he was battling? Was he losing his true self to this...monster?

Was he becoming Kira? 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Death Note.  
>This chapter's probably so sweet it'd gag L.<p>Isane Kotetsu was horrified at the sight that greeted her when the med team arrived to the scene. Soichiro Yagami had a huge gash on his left shoulder, and massive blood loss, along with a large bruise across his back.<br>"Oh god...get him on the stretcher, right now! He'll die if we don't hurry!"

Isane rushed to apply the proper medication and disinfectant. She wrapped the wound to stem the flow of blood. With the help of Izuru Kira, she hefted the man's body onto the stretcher and carried it back to squad 4 sickbay.  
>"Don't give up on me, Soichiro Yagami. Not now." Isane hissed.<br>They slid his body onto a hospital bed, Izuru sticking a blood drip into Soichiro's right wrist.  
>Isane held her hands over the wound, focusing all of her Reiatsu on repairing the torn flesh.<br>"Just...a little more..." Isane gasped under her breath.  
>"Let me help you." Izuru moved next to Isane. He put his hands over the wound, and the blood started coming back to Soichiro's face, slowly but steadily. The shredded tendons were coming back together, and Soichiro mumbled in his sleep. He was slowly healing, Isane could see it in his face. He was returning to his normal appearance of health and vigor. His eyes cracked open, deep peaceful pools of brown, and a sad smile played on Soichiro's lips. Izuru ran a hand over Soichro's eyes, closing them.<p>

"You need to rest, Soichiro. We're here for you." Isane said softly.  
>A feeling of peace ran through Soichiro's veins. He slowly slipped into unconsciousness. He was floating in nothingness.<p>

When he woke up, birds were chirping outside the window. He opened his eyes, and saw Izuru and Isane slumped in chairs, sleeping peacefully. They looked drained, even as they slept. Soichiro tried moving his wounded shoulder. The pain was almost entirely gone. He looked at it, touched it. It appeared intact, with the exception of a slight scar. On the table besides him, he found what appeared to be a fragment of bone. He picked it up, fingered it. It was cold, like metal. It had a sharp edge and a thin, jagged, dark-blue stripe ran through it. He looked at the other side; it seemed to fit the contour of a face. He placed it over the top-right of his face, out of idle interest. It fit like a glove.  
>Somehow, he felt that it was the source of something bitter. Something cold and harsh.<br>Something evil.  
>Izuru woke up, and strode over to Soichiro. He smiled at seeing him awake.<br>"What is this...thing, Izuru?" he growled, toying with the piece of bony white mask.  
>"Ahh, that? We found it after we finished healing your shoulder. It looks like it might have saved your life. Seems it deflected part of the blow. If that thing wasn't there, your body would've been cut clean in two."<br>Soichiro winced at the mental image that this brought.  
>"What is it, though?"<br>"Well, it looks like a piece of a mask of some sort. Maybe a Hollow's. I'm no expert, though."  
>Soichiro tossed the fragment into the bin.<br>"What's the big idea throwing away that thing? It is what saved your life, after all."  
>"No. I think it's a Hollow mask. I don't like the feel of it at all. It gives me a strange chill."<br>"Whatever ya say, Soichiro. Your choice."  
>Isane opened her eyes, stretched, and grinned at Soichiro.<br>"Had a good night's sleep?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Your shoulder feel better?"  
>"Like new. Thanks."<br>"Oh, don't thank me, thank him. He's the one who did a lot of the work."  
>"Well, thanks to both of you. I really do appreciate it, you know."<br>"Ahh, it's nothing too tough. We've seen worse cases."  
>Soichiro sat up and swung his legs over to the side of the bed. Izuru gave him a hand in standing up. Soichiro groaned and stretched.<br>"Well, I'm sure you two have better things to do than sit around chatting with an old man. I'll manage fine by myself."  
>Isane and Izuru grinned at Soichiro in a way that reminded him of Light and Sayu. Their faces were lit up with a genuinely loving smile. The appreciation of a child for a parent. He gave them both a big hug.<br>"You two are like my kids already. I can't even express how much I love you guys."  
>"Aww, you're so sweet, Soichiro." Isane patted him on the back.<br>"Love ya too, Soichiro..." Izuru grumbled.  
>Soichiro smiled as a single tear of happiness rolled from his eye.<p>

He knew what he was fighting for.

He let go of the two young Shinigami.

"I'll be in Squad 9 offices, so you two know where to find me." Soichiro said, as he strode out of the Squad 4 sickbay. He felt greatly uplifted and lightened. He no longer felt worried about anything. He felt like humming a tune. His heart was as cheerful as a singing bird's.  
>"Hey, Shuuhei!"<br>"Hm? Oh, Soichiro! Great to see you up and about again. You were great back there, my friend. A real hero."  
>Soichiro felt his face heating up in humility.<br>"Ahh...it was a tough fight. I barely got away from it alive. I was just following my instincts. I'm not a 'hero'. Just protecting a friend." He wrapped his arm around Shuuhei's shoulders, and gave him a little squeeze.  
>"How're you feeling, Shuuhei? Better?"<br>"Feeling fine. Those Squad 4 people are real lifesavers."  
>Soichiro smiled. "So what do we have today?"<br>"You probably won't believe this, but...I've been promoted to Squad Captain. And I choose you to be my lieutenant."  
>"What...? No...That's great, Shuuhei!"<br>"Yeah, it is, isn't it? Here's your lieutenant's robe," Shuuhei said, handing Soichiro a black kimono with a blue obi and a matching black hakama.  
>Soichiro bowed to the new squad captain.<br>"Thank you, Captain Hisagi."  
>"You're welcome, Lieutenant Yagami." <p>


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own Death Note or Bleach. So don't sue me for butchering your favorite series!

As Lieutenant of Squad 9, Soichiro had to take charge of writing a "Shinigami Safety" column in the monthly issue of "Seireitei Communication", the magazine published by Squad 9. His first column was taken up entirely by his description of the dangers of Hollows. Some had an acid grip, while others could fire explosive projectiles. Yet others had the ability to disguise themselves as humans or other Shinigami. As he wrote the column, he thought about the Vasto Lorde attack on Seireitei. Thank God, nobody was seriously injured. Before he knew it, it was midday, and he had written enough to fill the entire magazine. As he stretched and groaned, Shuuhei leaned over Soichiro's shoulder. He squinted at Soichiro's writing.  
>"I wrote too much, huh?" he grumbled while he stretched.<br>"No, but you just gave me a great idea! We could have a Hollow themed issue! I could make this poster of Hollow levels, and we'd have stories by Shinigami about their battles with Hollows! You could even write about battling that Vasto Lorde! What was he called...Light!"  
>Soichiro shuddered. He wanted to forget about Light. He wanted to forget about Kira. He wished Kira had never existed. He knew wishing didn't change anything, but he wished nevertheless.<br>"Ahh...Shuuhei-taicho, I would really like to forget about that event."  
>"Why? You fought beautifully! You should be proud of yourself. What's with the sad look?"<br>Soichiro leaned his elbows on the desk, and put his head in his hands.  
>"I want to forget about it...because that Hollow was my son. Is my son. And when I fought him, I lost all control over myself. It was as if I was no longer moving my body. As if another being was moving it. And it felt good at the moment, but when he escaped, I realized that I could've killed my own son, and I wasn't feeling even a twinge of remorse while fighting him. I felt horrible. I was disgusted with myself. And then I realized that that...wasn't me. It was something that was laying dormant inside me, waiting for a chance to take over. I wasn't myself. It felt like I was just sitting back and watching two other people fighting."<br>Soichiro laid his head on the desk, and crossed his hands over his neck.  
>Shuuhei squeezed Soichiro's shoulder.<br>"I...see how that might be very painful for you. Don't worry about losing control. That's your Zanpakuto taking charge."  
>"Shuuhei...This is different. When Izuru and Isane took me back to sickbay, they found a piece of a Hollow mask under my gi. It deflected my son's strike. If it wasn't there, Izuru said I would've been cut clean in two. Shuuhei...I believe that what came over me when I was battling was my inner Hollow."<br>"Oh...god." Shuuhei ran his hand through his hair.  
>"Don't worry yourself about it, Shuuhei. I know there isn't anything you can do. I just wanted someone to know. Just in case I...lose myself. Just remember that it isn't me. If need be, you can kill me if the Hollow takes over."<br>"No. No, I would never do anything like that to you, Soichiro. You're my lieutenant. I care about you. Like you were my father. I've learned so much from you. I won't let you die. I will protect you to the best of my ability. You can rest assured of that."  
>"Thank you, Captain." Soichiro sighed, sitting back up.<br>"I owe you at least that much for saving my life, Soichiro."  
>Soichiro took a deep breath.<br>"So. What else do we have to do today?"  
>"Well, we have some letters for review, and a few more reports of gang violence in the Rukongai district."<br>"I'll read up on those reports and do whatever is needed."  
>"All right, good."<p>

Soichiro read through the descriptions of the criminal activities occurring in Rukongai. He decided to go to the scene of the crime himself. He told his captain, and took off for Rukongai. He exited the walls of Seireitei, heading eastwards in the direction of a town of moderately large size, on par with Seireitei. It was mainly residential, with a few street shops scattered about, selling fruits, vegetables, and miscellaneous goods. As he went south through through the market district, the streets started getting rougher. He was wearing his Shinigami kimono, which got him a few glances from the neighborhood tough-guys. He continued to flash-step through the town, finally reaching South Rukongai. It was grimy, run down, with tough-looking groups of young men hanging around alleyways. Soichiro turned right on the street described in the report. He found a young Shinigami cornered in by a tough looking group of Rukongai gangsters. They were wearing sleeveless kimono, and their leader had a large dragon tattoo stretching from one arm to the other, snaking across his back. The head of the dragon was on the back of his right hand, and the tail was on his left palm. The Shinigami screamed for help.  
>"What do you punks think you're doing with that Shinigami?" His eyes began to shimmer and turn cold, frosty silver.<br>"Get lost, old man. This is our turf, and Shinigami or no, you're dead if you challenge us on our own ground."  
>Soichiro pulled out his Zanpakuto. The gangsters pulled out metal clubs and machetes, and the leader pulled out a revolver and leveled it at Soichiro's head.<br>"Last chance, Shinigami. Run or die."  
>He primed the round, and prepared to fire.<br>"Strike and protect with the speed of the wind, Seigi no Kaze!" Soichiro roared, at the top of his breath.  
>The gang boss pulled the trigger.<br>The bullet flew. To Soichiro, it looked as if it were moving in slow motion. He flash-stepped away effortlessly.  
>"Get him!" the gang boss ordered.<br>Soichiro effortlessly incapacitated three of the gangsters with a combination of kicks and sheath strikes. The others were more difficult. They came at him all at once. He kicked the first in the chest. He knocked two others out cold with well-placed punches and elbows to the neck and head. Another gangster was dealt with using his sheathed sword to the criminal's head. By now, the first gangster was up again. He came at Soichiro from behind with a heavy metal rod. It hit him squarely between the shoulders. Soichiro was thrown into a wall, smashing his glasses. He slumped to the ground, limp and lifeless.  
>After a few minutes, he opened his eyes. He felt a cool mask forming over his face. The pain was decreasing. He could see clearly, but everything was in harsh black and white.<br>"This is all you've got? You're as weak as when you were a human!" The Hollow shouted at Soichiro.  
>The gang members turned back towards him. What they saw scared them nearly witless.<br>Soichiro's face was covered by a sharply angled mask that stretched from his hairline to his chin. There were two triangular eyeholes, pointing downwards. The whites of his eyes had changed color to black, and his irises glowed a steely gray-white. The opening for the mouth had a shape that resembled a disturbing grin. There was a thin blue stripe that ran through the right eyehole, almost like a fracture.  
>The gangsters stepped back from the Shinigami they were beating up. He was bruised, bleeding and had a black eye. He looked at Soichiro, and shrunk further in fear.<br>Soichiro flew at the gangsters, cutting them to pieces with the speed and power of the strongest Shinigami captains. He felt a hot bullet shred at the edge of his arm. He sliced the offending gangster in two from head to toe. The bullet wound closed in a matter of seconds with a hissing like that of water splashing on hot steel.  
>"This is how you fight, Soichiro! You fight to kill!" A throaty voice shouted.<br>"No...no! Get...out! Stop!" Soichiro screamed.  
>He clawed at the edge of his Hollow mask in agonizing pain, until it began to crack along the blue line. He looked as if he were trying to rip away an animal that was eating at his face.<br>The mask cracked in two. He ripped it off his face violently. As it fell, it dissolved into smoky nothingness. The black slowly bled away from Soichiro's eyes, and his irises returned to a reddish brown color while he staggered backwards as if he had been shot. He fell to his knees and collapsed.  
>The young Shinigami ran away towards Seireitei. <p>


	9. Chapter 9

I still don't own Bleach or Death Note. Don't kill me, Light! Get that sword away from me, Byakuya! Gah!

Soichiro opened his eyes. He saw the stars above him. He realized where he was. Inside his soul. He stood up. The streetlights gave off an ominous indigo light. There was a storm brewing beneath the moon's rays.  
>As a gust of wind tugged at Soichiro, he saw what seemed to be powdery snow blowing from his body, and forming into a human shape. Soichiro's breath felt like it was being sucked straight from his lungs. He gasped for air.<br>Soichiro felt like he was being choked by an invisible enemy. When the particles had finished forming into a human form, features slowly started appearing on its face.  
>He had slicked-back white-gray hair, with a few strands dangling over his face. He had white irises and black eyes. A rough mustache. And a disturbing smile through which his teeth glittered. He wore a kimono of pure white.<br>"Hello, Soichiro," The Hollow waved.  
>"You really disappointed me that time. Not killing any of those gangsters? Really now. You're tougher than that."<br>"I don't want to kill without justification."  
>"Ah, but you do have justification. They were going to KILL you! You fool! You're too soft!"<br>"I do what I believe is right."  
>"Ahh... So your conscience is more important than your life. How stupid and meaningless. Why do you even bother fighting? You can't win."<br>"I fight for the sake of justice!"  
>"Justice doesn't win battles. Ruthlessness does. And I'll win this battle with you to prove my point."<br>Soichiro drew his blade, as did the Hollow.  
>"Protect and strike with the speed of wind, Seigi no Kaze!" Soichiro shouted.<br>"Roar with the power of thunder, Seigi no Kazeshini," the Hollow said.  
>Soichiro had his dual blades.<br>The Hollow had a different set of blades from Soichiro's. His were jet-black, perfectly straight, with black chains, and a spike extending about a foot from the middle of the blades.  
>The Hollow smirked.<br>"Don't even know your Bankai release command, do you? This should be easier than those gangsters."  
>Soichiro growled and flew at the Hollow.<br>Their blades clashed with arcs of electricity.  
>"Why do you even try, Soichiro? You know you'll lose."<br>"That may be so, but I'll never let you win. I'll never give up control to you."  
>Soichiro struck at the Hollow again. The Hollow wrapped his chain around Soichiro's neck, choking him.<br>Soichiro stabbed at the Hollow's gut. The Hollow let go of Soichiro, whipping his blade as he returned it to his hands, slashing at Soichiro's chest and arms. Soichiro grunted in pain.  
>The wound in the Hollow's stomach healed almost immediately.<br>Soichiro was still wounded.  
>His chain was dripping with blood.<br>"Protect me, Seigi no Kaze."  
>His wounds slowly knitted together with a white smoke that flowed from his blade.<br>He breathed a sigh of relief.  
>The Hollow grinned.<br>"This should be fun."  
>Soichiro flash-stepped away from the Hollow's stabbing attack, countering with his own stab at the Hollow's back. He connected, and quickly pulled away. The Hollow spun around, slashing at Soichiro. Soichiro blocked with his right blade, and stabbed with his left. The Hollow kicked at the chain of Soichiro's blades. The left blade was knocked out of his hand. The Hollow stabbed at Soichiro's heart.<p>

The strike connected.

Soichiro gasped for breath.  
>"That's all you've got, huh, old man?"<br>"Protect me...Seigi no Kaze..." Soichiro gasped with his failing strength.  
>He collapsed.<br>Seigi no Kaze appeared besides Soichiro's body.  
>"It isn't over quite yet, old friend Soichiro. Not yet. You still have something to do for your friends. For Light."<br>He kneeled, placing his hands over Soichiro's heart.  
>The wound disappeared. Soichiro's breath returned.<br>He felt his chest. It was intact. His heart was still beating. He was still alive and breathing.  
>He stood up.<br>Seigi no Kaze whispered in his ear. He somehow understood what he said, even though he couldn't make out any specific words.  
>"Ban...Kai! Roar with the power of thunder, Seigi no Kazeshini!"<br>Soichiro's Hollow was shocked to see Soichiro engulfed in a cloud of black. When he emerged, he had a blade with a spike at it's middle, going up about a foot, one in each hand. It was jet black. The chain was broken, and each side of the chain wrapped tightly around his arm. He wore a jet black gi and hakama, with a white poppy crest on the left side of his gi. Electricity arced through his body.  
>He disappeared, reappearing behind his Hollow's form.<br>"Strike," he whispered into the Hollow's ear.  
>He stabbed the Hollow and lightning arced between his two stormy-black blades. The lightning burnt through the Hollow's form.<br>"You...rrghhh!" The Hollow growled.  
>"You won this time. But next time, I won't take it so easy on you."<br>The Hollow dissolved into white dust, which flew into Seigi no Kaze's body.  
>Soichiro's blade returned to a single, normal-looking katana.<br>He fell to his knees in silent relief.

Seigi no Kaze placed a hand on Soichiro's shoulder. 


	10. Chapter 10

I still don't own Bleach nor Death Note. Nor do I own a good computer -_-

It had been three hours, and Soichiro still hadn't returned from his investigation. Shuuhei was beginning to worry and fear the worst. He shouldn't have sent out his lieutenant to do something this dangerous.  
>"Nnngh...why'd I ever let you go, Soichiro? Why...?"<br>He picked up his Zanpakuto and stuck it into his belt.  
>Right before he opened the door to is office, he heard a voice right behind him.<br>"Soichiro Yagami is in South Rukongai. He was taken over by his Hollow while fighting a group of violent criminals. He is unconscious, and he is currently battling his inner Hollow. Save him for my sake."  
>Shuuhei spun around.<br>"Who are you?"  
>"I am Soichiro's Zanpakuto, Seigi no Kaze. He is my only real friend. I am appearing to you because you are close to his heart."<br>"He is close to my heart as well. I will do what I can for him."  
>Shuuhei effortlessly flash-stepped to Soichiro's Reiatsu, which emanated pain. He was horrified at what he saw. More than a dozen corpses were scattered around Soichiro's unconscious form, sliced in a dozen different ways. Soichiro was lying face-down in the blood oozing from the corpses.<br>Shuuhei lifted Soichiro's body from under his arms and laid him on his back. He felt Soichiro's heart. It was beating, strong and clear. There were no wounds other than a bruise across his back, but his glasses lay cracked on the ground, their lenses spattered with red. He hefted Soichiro's lifeless body over his shoulder, and flash-stepped to an empty field near Rukongai. He felt Soichiro's heart again. It stopped for a second, and Shuuhei caught his breath. It resumed beating, as strong as before. He shook Soichiro by the shoulders.  
>"Wake up. Get up!"<br>Soichiro heard Shuuhei's voice echoing in his ears.  
>He opened his deep, brown eyes.<br>"Shuuhei...captain. I'm sorry. I...let my Hollow take over..."  
>"No. Don't apologize. It was outside your control. All I care about is that you're all right."<br>"I don't feel so good."  
>Despite that, Soichiro sat up.<br>"I know what you mean, Soichiro."  
>Shuuhei sighed.<br>"What happened back there? I seem to remember a bunch of gangsters..."  
>"You...killed them. The gangsters."<br>Soichiro's eyes widened.  
>"Killed them? What do you mean? How..."<br>"Well...you were laying face-down in their blood. It was... a massacre."  
>"...no. No..."<br>Soichiro looked at his kimono. It was covered in sticky, drying blood. He recoiled in horror.  
>"No. No way. I can't believe it."<br>"It's the truth, Soichiro. You have to bear it. Just remember that I'll stand by you. You're my lieutenant. You're my responsibility. I'll testify for you if you're taken to court."  
>"After all of this, and you're still standing behind me. I don't know how to thank you."<br>Shuuhei smiled.  
>"All the reward I need is the fact that you're fine. I could never ask for a better, more loyal lieutenant."<br>"I...thanks." Soichiro said quietly.  
>"Let's go get you cleaned up before anybody asks about what happened."<br>Soichiro and Shuuhei took off for Seireitei together.

Meanwhile, in Squad 4's sickbay...  
>"And he just...sliced them to pieces! It was terrifying. I just wanted to get away from that horrible place. And...his Hollow was talking! It was...so arrogant. It scared me witless! When he fainted, I just made a run for it."<br>The young Shinigami telling this story was Hanataro Yamada, the sixth seat of Squad 4. He had messy black hair, wide blue eyes, and an apologetic manner. He was telling this story to Isane as she bandaged up his injuries.  
>"Mmm-hm. I think I'll talk to Soichiro about this."<br>"Yagami-San? Isn't he the Squad 9 Lieutenant?"  
>"That's him, all right."<br>"But isn't that dangerous? Talking to someone with an inner Hollow?"  
>"Not for me it isn't. I know him and he'd never even think about hurting me."<br>"Thanks, Isane-san! You're so brave!"  
>"It's nothing, Hanataro. Just doing my job."<p>

Soichiro had just finished showering and dressing, and was now drying off his sopping wet hair, when he heard someone knock on his room's door.  
>"Just a minute!" Soichiro yelled. He tied up his obi, and went to open the door. He found Isane on the other side of the door. She seemed somehow...nervous.<br>"Soichiro...There's something we need to talk about. Inside."  
>"Ahh...come in. I'm really sorry about the mess. I just moved in today."<br>Isane gave him a pointed look that said "Shut up."  
>"I heard from my squad's sixth seat that you killed about a dozen people in South Rukongai while under the influence of a Hollow. Is that true?"<br>Soichiro felt fear shoot through his body. "Well? Is it?"  
>"Y-yes, it is."<br>"Well. The penalty for committing such a crime is immediate expulsion from Soul Society. And if you reject, death."  
>Soichiro hung his head.<br>"I'm sorry. I let you down, didn't I?"  
>Isane's icy facade cracked.<br>"Hey. Hey, Soichiro. You don't need to be sad. You'll be able to see your family. Your wife, your kids..."  
>"My son is dead, and he's become a Vasto Lorde now. I'm a Shinigami. They can't see me or hear me. Even if they could, Sachiko's probably found someone else to love by now. If my family's grief isn't relieved by my visit, I have no purpose in going to the human realm. I would rather be executed. I can no longer provide a function to either one of these societies. If I can't help people, I might as well be dead."<br>Isane stared at Soichiro's gentle, deep brown eyes as he said this. They were filled with sorrow and disappointment.  
>"No. You can get a gigai...a replacement body. That's what Shinigami who get expelled from Seireitei do. They get gigais, and live perfectly normal lives. It's only been a month or so. You can go back."<br>"...all right. Show me the door." He looked at Isane with tears in his eyes, and a sad smile playing on his lips.  
>"I wish it didn't have to end this way, Soichiro. But that's the way things work here. I'll try to visit you when I'm on assignment in the human world."<br>Soichiro sighed.  
>They went to the edge of Seireitei. Isane opened a portal. She handed him a pendant with a white poppy medallion. He smiled and hugged her. A big, warm, hug. The kind a father gives his daughter before he steps onto an aircraft carrier headed for hostile territory, never to come back. <p>


	11. Chapter 11

Why must I say this...?  
>Byakuya points Senbonzakura at Sasaki-San, Light puts pen to Death Note Ahh! All right, all right! I don't own Bleach or Death Note!<br>Byakuya sheathes Senbonzakura, Light places pen back in shirt pocket, Sasaki-San wipes sweat from forehead

Soichiro stepped through the door back to his old world that now seemed so alien to him. He walked forwards through whiteness until he found another seam. He tugged at it, rending space.  
>He stepped out in a small town in Japan, in front of a high school. Karakura High School. He saw Renji wearing a bright green t-shirt and bleached jeans chatting with an orange-haired boy who was wearing a white t-shirt with red sleeves and black jeans, walking along the street. Renji looked in his direction, and grinned. He said something to his orange-haired friend, and swallowed a small pill. His Shinigami form separated from his body, which kept on walking.<br>Renji walked over to Soichiro.  
>"Of all the people I thought might be sent to the Human World, I least expected you. What happened, old man? Got tired of filing paperwork?"<br>"Where can I find a gigai?"  
>"Not even a hello? Fine. Just go that way, turn left on 82nd St, and keep going until you find Urahara's candy shop."<br>"Thank you." Soichiro bowed politely.  
>"Psh. Whatever."<br>He jogged along the road for about half a mile, until he found 82nd St. He turned left. It started getting quite narrow, until it culminated in a small dirt parking lot and a tiny candy shop. The sign read "Kisuke Urahara's Candy Shop."  
>The sign on the door was flipped to the "Open" side, so Soichiro decided to head on in. The shop was filled with numerous types and colors of sweets. A 30-some year old man with sandy hair, pale skin, bright green eyes, and a little bit of stubble on his chin, wearing a black gi and black pants, was sitting on a folding chair. His most distinctive feature was his white-and-green striped hat that bore a passing resemblance to a wide brimmed lampshade.<br>He looked up at Soichiro and gave him a wide grin.  
>"The Chief of Police of Tokyo! Honored to meet you. What can I get for you this wonderful morning? Perhaps a muffin and some tea?"<br>"I need a gigai."  
>"Ahh. So you really are a Shinigami. All right then, just give me a moment. Ururu! Jinta! Can you get a gigai for this nice man?"<br>A short boy with long, spiky, red hair, resembling that of Renji's, stepped out from an interior room. Along with him came a shy, wide-eyed girl with black hair.  
>"He's the chief of police of Tokyo, so get him something nice and rugged."<br>"Yes, Urahara-San."  
>"So, why're you looking for a gigai?"<br>"I was expelled from Seireitei for being taken over by my inner Hollow and killing 12 people while in that state."  
>"Ahh, so another Visored."<br>"What?"  
>"Visored are Shinigami who were Hollowfied, and eventually learned how to control their inner Hollows. They're quite powerful. They can activate their Hollow powers just by pulling on a mask. Shinji Hirako is their leader. They hang out in the area around the Yellow Box warehouse. That's where they do their practice duels. Ah, here's your gigai now! Great work, you two!"<br>"How do I...use it?"  
>"Oh, that's simple. Just slip into it, like a shirt."<br>Soichiro picked up the gigai and inspected it. It was a perfect replica of his 54-year-old self, down to the last wrinkle...except for the fact that it was a bit more muscular than he was. It was wearing an ice-blue dress shirt and gray dress pants, and it had a small black backpack slung over its shoulder.  
>He slipped into it almost effortlessly. It felt...strange, somehow, being in a human body again.<br>"And now how am I supposed to get out of this thing?"  
>"That's even easier. You just swallow one of these," Urahara said, pulling a bottle of green, spherical pills from his pocket.<br>"These are soul candies. When you swallow one, it will separate your soul from your body and replace it with a substitute soul. It'll follow your orders and imitate your behavior as best as it can. Its physical abilities are also slightly above normal. That will be one million yen, please."  
>Soichiro's jaw dropped.<br>"How...much?"  
>Kisuke Urahara grinned.<br>"I'm just messing with you, buddy. You don't owe me a thing."  
>"But...? How?"<br>"The gigai is still experimental, so I don't charge anybody who volunteers to test it. You're the 138th user of a gigai so far. Plus, I don't take advantage of people who need my goods."  
>"Ah. I see." Soichiro was visibly relieved.<br>"Good doing business with ya, Mr. Yagami."  
>"You too, Urahara-San."<br>They shook hands.  
>"So. Where exactly is the Yellow Box warehouse?"<br>"Just a few miles south of here, in the industrial district. It's on 3rd St and 190th Ave."  
>"Thank you so much."<br>"Don't mention it."

Soichiro caught a bus to the industrial district. When he came to pay, he remembered that he didn't have any money. He felt around in his pockets, and the feel of a crisp, unwrinkled bill met his fingers. He placed the 500-yen note in the machine, and got plenty of change back.  
>He grinned at Kisuke Urahara's consideration.<br>As he stepped off near the abandoned warehouse these so-called Visoreds trained at, he saw a somehow familiar car heading in the direction of the Yellow Box warehouse. A shot of memory went through Soichiro's mind. It was Matsuda's car. What was he doing in a place like this?  
>Soichiro walked around the Yellow Box warehouse. He tried every door he came upon. Almost all of them were locked and rusted shut. He finally came upon one that he was able to lug open. As he walked in, he saw someone else in the warehouse.<br> 


	12. Chapter 12

I still don't own Bleach or Death Note. Please don't kill me, Kuchiki-Sama! 0_o

As he walked in, he saw someone else in the warehouse.

It was Matsuda. He had a gun to his head, and his back was to Soichiro.  
>"Matsuda! What are you doing!" Soichiro yelled.<br>"Go away, Aizawa. I don't want to talk anymore. I want to disappear from this world."  
>"I am not Aizawa, Matsuda," he said gently.<br>Matsuda turned around slowly, his gun in his hand. When he saw Soichiro, his eyes widened, his arm trembled, and he pointed the gun at Soichiro.  
>Matsuda's eyes were haggard and red-rimmed, and his hair was messy.<p>

A single tear hit the chilly concrete floor.

"I really am going crazy, aren't I?"  
>"No, you aren't, Matsuda."<br>Tears were rolling from Matsuda's eyes.  
>"Chief... I thought..."<br>"That I was dead? You're right."  
>"But...how...you? Here?"<br>"Come here, Matsuda. Please, don't shoot me. I don't blame you for anything you've done."  
>Matsuda dropped his gun, and stumbled into Soichiro's open arms. He gave a heaving sob, and buried his face in Soichiro's neck. Soichiro patted the young man's back.<br>"It's all right, Matsuda. I'm here. I'm here for you."  
>"I...shot him..." Matsuda sobbed. "I...killed..."<br>"It's OK, Matsuda. What happened? You know I'll listen."  
>"I...killed Light. I shot him. I killed him."<br>Soichiro closed his eyes and breathed deeply.  
>Matsuda held his breath. "All right, Matsuda. It's OK. You can tell me what happened."<br>"He...was Kira...and he hated you...and he was going to kill us all...so I shot at him...and I wanted to kill him...so badly..." Matsuda said through his veil of tears.  
>"I know. I know, Matsuda. I still love you. As if you were my own son. You know that."<br>"Even...after what I did?"  
>Soichiro pulled Matsuda away from him, and held him by the shoulders firmly.<br>"You did what you thought was right, didn't you?"  
>"Y-es." Matsuda mumbled.<br>"Well then, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm proud of you, Matsuda. You followed your conscience without letting your emotions get in the way. I could never have been as strong as you in that moment."  
>"Really...? You really mean it, Chief?" He looked at Soichiro's rough, wrinkled face with hopeful eyes.<br>"Yes, I do. Now get back to work, Matsuda. And don't tell the others about this... I'll tell them myself."  
>"Yes, sir."<br>Soichiro smiled at Matsuda as he returned to his car.  
>Once he was sure Matsuda was gone, he began his hunt for the Visoreds. They were, after all, the only ones who could teach him how to tame his Hollow. To keep it from consuming him from the inside out until he was a hollow shell.<br>"You...Visoreds. Come out, wherever you are."  
>A tall boy, wearing an orange dress shirt, gray pants, and a piano-patterned tie appeared. He had blonde hair that reached half-way to his neck in a long bowl cut, and a toothy grin. He reminded Soichiro of Mello in a way.<br>"Whaddya want us for?"  
>"I want to master my inner Hollow. I don't want it hurting my family or friends or taking over my actions."<br>"And who are you, anyway?"  
>"Soichiro Yagami. Former Tokyo Chief of Police. Ex-Lieutenant of Squad 9. I have achieved Bankai in battle against my inner Hollow. And you're Shinji Hirako, impromptu leader of the Visored, and former Seireitei squad captain. There are 8 of you, all either former squad captains or lieutenants." He was reciting from his memory of the Seireitei databases' information on people who had mastered their Hollows.<br>"You know your stuff, huh? Follow me."  
>The Visored opened a trapdoor in the floor of the warehouse. It led down into what seemed to be a rocky desert.<br>Soichiro was no longer surprised at anything he saw. He took everything in stride. He followed Shinji down.  
>It was an enormous warehouse basement that had been converted into a training ground filled with rocks and boulders. The walls and roof were colored light blue, the color of the sky. Long fluorescent lamps hung from the roof, lighting the dry indoors landscape with hot light.<br>Shinji suddenly stopped. He pulled a bright orange flip phone from his pocket, dialing a number.  
>"Who're you calling?"<br>Shinji just held a finger to his lips. Soichiro shrugged and walked around a bit.  
>He felt nervous. More nervous than usual.<br>"Yeah, it's Shinji. What? No. No! I said, no! It's not that. I got another new guy. Yeah. Bring the rest of the gang. Yeah. Okay! I'll get the groceries! Sheesh!"  
>"Who was that?" Soichiro asked. "Oh...that was another one of the Visoreds. She's called Hiyori. A real mean one. She's also really powerful."<br>"I...see."  
>"So...I'll be going to get the groceries, cause if I don't, Hiyori's gonna beat me senseless. Want me to grab something for ya?"<br>"No...I'm fine."  
>"Suit yourself."<br>Shinji walked back up the metal stairway leading to the surface.  
>"Don't screw our training ground up!" he shouted at Soichiro before he left.<br>Soichiro sighed, sitting down on a rock. He wanted to get this matter dealt with as quickly as possible. He couldn't bear the thought of a Hollow taking him over at any time. Threatening the lives of innocents...of people he cared about.  
>Threatening his family. Sachiko. Sayu. Matsuda. Aizawa. Mogi. All of those people whom he didn't want to see hurt.<br>He still couldn't imagine losing control in the heat of the moment. How could he do something without meaning it? He was always a very methodical man, even in anger. He never struck at someone unless he saw them as an immediate threat to another person. He didn't hit people when he was angry, and it took a lot for him to get angry.

So how come he was so afraid of his inner Hollow taking over?

He knew why now. His inner Hollow didn't mirror him. It followed its own path. It didn't care about justice. It had no sense of right and wrong. It did whatever it had to in order to survive.  
>That was what made it so dangerous. It wanted to eliminate everything that was a threat to its existence. Nothing stood in its way without being obliterated. Everyone who tried to stop it was dealt with as a threat. What if he got into an argument with someone? Would the Hollow take over then? He didn't want to imagine it...getting into a confrontation with Aizawa or Mogi...and his Hollow taking over and...oh, God. It would...tear them apart.<p>

It would obliterate them.

Soichiro's gut churned with these thoughts. He felt like throwing up. His mouth was dry. His legs felt weak. He felt helpless and entirely at the mercy of a hostile force. Like a prisoner in his own body. He heard a strange laugh inside him. It wasn't his. He laughed rarely, and when he did, it was a hearty chuckle. This was an arrogant, derisive laughter. It rang through his mind.  
>As these thoughts ran through him, a loud clang resounded through the basement as someone opened the door to the hidden training grounds.<br>Eight people entered, Shinji at their head. He was followed by a short girl with sandy hair, green eyes, a bright red jacket and shorts, and a sour expression. Behind her were even more people. One man had short bluish white hair, and wore a sleeveless shirt. Another had an Afro resembling Aizawa's, and wore sunglasses. There was a green-haired girl with red goggles and a scarf. A large, pink-haired man with a mustache and a pleasant expression. Another man had long blonde hair reaching down to his shoulders. A woman with black hair and glasses finished out the group.  
>Soichiro stood and looked at them.<br>"Here's the new guy." Shinji said.  
>"Pleased to meet you. Soichiro Yagami, at your service."<br>"Hiyori Sarugaki," the sour-faced girl stated.  
>"Kensei Muguruma, pleased to meet you," the silver-haired man said.<br>"My name's Mashiro Kuna!", the green-haired girl exclaimed.  
>"I'm Love Aikawa. Nice ta meet you." This was the blonde guy.<br>"Roger Otoribashi's my name." The man with the Afro said.  
>"Lisa Yadomaru, good to meet you." This was the black-haired woman.<br>"I am Hachigen Ushoda." This was the tall, pink-haired man.  
>"And ya already know me." This, of course, was Shinji.<br>"All right. Let's get going. Hachigen. Use Bakudo 99 on this guy. We don't know how tough he's gonna be, so we wanna be on the safe side." Kensei growled.  
>"Take it off." Roger said, pointing at Soichiro.<br>"Take what off? This?" He pointed at his white poppy necklace.  
>"Your gigai, stupid."<br>"All right! No need to be so snippy."  
>Soichiro took the bottle of pills out of his pants pocket. He popped it open, and gulped down the Soul Candy.<br>He felt himself separating from his physical body. Being pushed away from it. He stepped forwards a few feet. He looked back. His gigai stretched.  
>"Long time no body...nice to have one again."<br>"Go sit over there. By the stairs." Hiyori snapped.  
>"Yes, fine."<br>His gigai went over by the stairs and leaned on them with his arms crossed, observing relaxedly.  
>"Put on your Hollow mask, Soichiro Yagami." Lisa said, calmly.<br>"What? If I do that..."  
>"Just do it!" Hiyori snapped.<br>"...I don't know how."  
>There was an awkward pause for a moment, then Shinji burst out laughing.<br>"You don't even know how to bring up your Hollow? How silly. Just release your Bankai. You should be good to go."  
>"Ban-kai! Roar with the strength of thunder, Seigi no Kazeshini!" Soichiro growled, pulling his Zanpakuto from his sheath.<br>He was surrounded by a black whirlwind with tiny electrical sparks emanating from it. He emerged from it in his Bankai state.  
>"Nice." Shinji murmured.<br>"Bakudo number 99, part one. Kin." Hachigen said, intertwining his hands.  
>Soichiro felt his arms snap behind his back violently. He saw black fabric materialize, wrapping around his body. He exerted as much pressure as he could, but he was helpless to resist. He struggled continuously, until he felt exhausted from the effort.<br>Then his Hollow took up the task.  
>The whites of his eyes slowly filled with black. His irises turned an icy white. The Hollow mask began materializing. Now the blue stripe bifurcated underneath the eye slit, giving the impression of a mask split into three pieces by a bolt of dark blue lightning. And there was a black stripe, resembling that of a tiger's, on the right side.<br>The Hollow tore and struggled at the binding spell. It ripped its hands free. Now it was tearing at the black Reiatsu that was holding it in place. It succeeded in destroying all of it. It gave a throaty laugh.  
>"That all you Visored got?"<br>Soichiro could only watch as he saw himself run at Hachigen with his blade raised. He felt helpless. As if he was willingly putting his friends in danger. He began fighting again. This time against his Hollow. He tried ripping the mask off. His hands wouldn't move, no matter how hard he willed them to. He shouted. He swore. Nothing happened. His Hollow was still charging full-speed ahead.  
>Suddenly, Hiyori appeared in front of his Hollow form. She pulled on a striped, horned Hollow mask, and ripped her Zanpakuto from its sheath.<br>The blades clashed. Electricity arced.  
>Hiyori pushed back, sending Soichiro's Hollowfied body backwards. She slashed at it with her katana, shredding at his gi's arm.<br>The battle dragged on for about 10 minutes. Then, Hiyori switched out, and another Visored came in. This cycle repeated itself until every Visored had a chance to fight Soichiro's Hollowfied form, with the exception of Hachigen, who was busy keeping a Reiatsu shield active around the battle area.  
>At exactly 69 minutes and 45 seconds, Soichiro collapsed of exhaustion. His Hollow mask cracked and began to fall away.<br>Hiyori dragged his lifeless body up the stairs.  
>"Shouldn't we at least let him stay a while? He was a lot nicer than that Ichigo kid, and we let that punk stay for lunch." Roger said.<br>"He's an old guy, and I don't like old guys. So I don't like him." Hiyori grouched.  
>"You don't like anyone, Hiyori. He was nice. We should at least tell him how his Hollow mask works."<br>"Fine." Hiyori puffed. 


	13. Chapter 13

I don't own Death Note or Bleach! Don't sue me, Shonen Jump!

Soichiro woke up on an old cot stashed away in a corner of the warehouse.  
>"Finally woken up? So, we've managed to contain your Hollow. You can use its power without it taking you over by pulling a mask over your face while in your Shinigami form, like I did. Try it." Shinji explained.<br>Soichiro was in a daze. But he tried Shinji's instructions anyhow. He slid his hand over his face, as if he were sliding a mask from the top of his head onto his face. Almost magically, the Hollow mask materialized on Soichiro's face. His vision was desaturated, and everything ghosted a little as he moved his eyes about.  
>"Now, you'll probably only be able to hold this thing together for a minute, tops. If you keep using it and practicing with it, ya might be able to use it for a few minutes. The most you'll be able to get with it is 5 minutes."<br>Soichiro nodded in understanding. His gigai was leaning against the doorway. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help."  
>"Don't mention it. It was our pleasure. You were fun to fight."<br>Soichiro slid back into his gigai, and felt a smooth sphere in his mouth. He spat the Soul Candy out, returning it to the medication bottle.

As he left the Yellow Box warehouse, Soichiro decided to give his friends at Tokyo Police Headquarters a pleasant surprise.

It was about midday, so Soichiro decided he would go to one of his friends' old haunts, a small local coffee shop and bakery, in the hopes that he would find them spending their break hour there.

As he walked along the street, he remembered so many moments he had shared with Aizawa, Mogi, Ide, and Matsuda. There was the time that Matsuda was trying to imitate Soichiro in every aspect, so he ordered a black coffee with no sugar in lieu of his typical 5-sugar cappuccino, and skipped his normal lunchtime scone for a cheese sandwich. He had barely been able to stomach the coffee, and when it came to the sandwich, by the time he finished it, he was green around the gills. When they had gotten back to the office, Soichiro had pulled Matsuda aside, and gave him a little talk on how he always appreciated him for who he was, and how he had to be his own person, how he couldn't always imitate others. The next day, Matsuda went back to his normal routine of a blueberry scone and cappuccino.

Another time, Aizawa had downed 8 espressos on a dare by Ide. He was jittery all day, and half of the words in his reports had extra letters. He did end up finishing all his work by 3:00, though.

Soichiro grinned at those fond memories. His spirits were incredibly high. He felt like he was ready to face anything. He was complete in all aspects. Physically, he was a healthy, solidly built 54-year-old man. As a Shinigami, he was more than capable of defending himself and others from Hollows.  
>The only concern that now ran through his mind was how to deal with his son, who was now a Vasto Lorde. Could Hollows attack in the human world, or only in the Shinigami realm? And could he ever get through to Light-break Kira's will?<br>Soichiro pushed that thought out of his mind as he walked to the coffee shop to meet his old friends. He would deal with it later. For now, all he was worried about was how they would react on discovering Soichiro Yagami, former boss and close friend, who had been dead for an entire month, sitting at their table in the Silver Dragonfly Cafe.  
>Soichiro ordered his usual, and the kid at the cash register gave him an odd look, as if he somehow recognized him. Soichiro sat down in a chair with a view of the street. After a minute or two, he noticed Aizawa, Mogi, and Matsuda walking along. He furrowed his brow when he saw Matsuda looking down with his hands in his pockets and teary eyes. Aizawa looked almost angry. Mogi seemed perturbed by something. Perhaps it was a case. Or maybe Matsuda had told them...about him. As the trio entered the cafe, Soichiro kept his head down. He didn't want to come up to them and cause a scene. As Aizawa ordered, Matsuda looked around the cafe, and when his eyes fell on Soichiro, a smile cracked on his face. He poked at Mogi, who looked back and seemed to scoff at Matsuda's enthusiasm. As Aizawa sat down across from Soichiro, Matsuda walked over towards him. He sat down in front of Aizawa, and leaned forward, telling him something with an enthusiastic whisper. Aizawa just grinned slightly, and shook his head at Matsuda's optimism. As Mogi picked up the tray of coffees and brought it to their table, he glanced at Soichiro, hunched over his coffee.<br>Matsuda stood up and approached Soichiro.  
>"Umm...Sorry if I'm wrong, but...you look kinda familiar. Is your name by any chance Soichiro Yagami?" He was rubbing his neck in embarrassment.<br>Soichiro looked up at Matsuda, a smile playing on his lips.  
>"Sit down, Matsuda. It has been quite a while since I've seen you here."<br>"Aizawa! Mogi!" Soichiro called out.  
>Aizawa sat up in shock, as if he had been struck by lightning. He turned around slowly, wondering if this was some sort of trick. As his eyes fell on Soichiro's face, he was in shock.<br>"Chief...?"  
>Soichiro motioned for Aizawa and Mogi to come over. Mogi was wide-eyed, and apparently hadn't gotten quite enough sleep. He seemed to think that he was either hallucinating or had fallen asleep at his desk.<br>As Aizawa and Mogi sat down, Soichiro gave them a gentle smile.  
>"Yagami-San? Is it really you? It can't be...are you his brother or something?" Aizawa growled. "I think it's Yagami-San. He acts just like him, sounds just like him, dresses like him, recognizes us..." Matsuda said.<br>"Why should we assume that he's Soichiro? He might just be a relative of his who looks and acts like him." Mogi muttered.  
>"All right then. I'll prove that I'm Soichiro Yagami to you three. I had a heart attack in the early parts of the Kira case. It was due to stress. When L decided to confine Light, I willingly volunteered to be placed in a cell as well. Right before I died, Light, my son, tried to get me to write my killer's name in the Death Note. And this morning, at about 10:00 am, Matsuda was in the Yellow Box warehouse, attempting to commit suicide. I just so happened to be there. When he heard my voice, he dropped his gun. He told me that he had shot Light because he was Kira and was going to kill all of you if he didn't stop him. Is this accurate?"<br>Aizawa and Mogi stared at Matsuda. Matsuda suddenly found a great fascination in his coffee stirrer.  
>"Matsuda...is this true? Did you really..." Aizawa asked, taken aback.<br>"Yes. I did. I can't believe it now. I just can't. I was so pathetic. I was so...weak. I actually thought that killing myself would do some sort of good. Make me feel less guilty."  
>"Matsuda...when you die, it isn't over then. You don't just fade to black. You have to live with the consequences. You go either to hell, or to Soul Society. And before you go to either one, you roam around the human world for some time. And it hurts. You see the people you care about most grieving over your death. If you're really bitter and angry, your soul may become corrupted. You might, after death, end up hurting the ones you loved most in your life." Soichiro explained.<br>"Is that what happened to you, Chief? You...went to...Soul Society?" Matsuda asked, perking up.  
>"Yes. I went to Soul Society. I became a Shinigami. A soul reaper. They protect the other souls in Soul Society from corrupted souls, which are known as Hollows. These Hollows are attracted to souls with a high spiritual pressure, or Reiatsu. All Shinigami have high spiritual pressure; thus, they are trained to defend themselves and others from Hollow attacks. To aid them in this purpose, they have Zanpakuto, or soul blades, as part of their souls. These Zanpakuto manifest in the form of a katana externally, and inside of the Shinigami's soul, they appear as people. The name of my Zanpakuto is Seigi no Kaze. When I release his power from my blade, it changes form. The first stage of this is known as Shikai. All Shinigami can achieve this stage. The second stage, which requires much stronger Reiatsu and a fairly high degree of focus, is called Bankai. My Zanpakuto has achieved Bankai. That is the highest state a Shinigami's Zanpakuto can reach. A Zanpakuto is an extension of the Shinigami. It is a part of their soul. If the Shinigami is in pain or in a tight spot, the Zanpakuto can sense this. The Shinigami must prove himself to his Zanpakuto before it will aid him in battle. If the Shinigami succeeds, the Zanpakuto will lend him power. If he fails, the Zanpakuto will not manifest."<p>

Everyone was listening with great interest, not wanting to miss a word.  
>Soichiro told his friends his entire story, up to today. He kept it simple. His friends no longer saw him in the same way. That was for sure. He was something unique. A half-way mix of Soul Reaper and human. He could not associate himself with either group, however. He was a Visored. He had a powerful Hollow inside of him. It was, fortunately, under control, but he could call on its power as he needed. He couldn't maintain use of the power for too long, but it was something. And he had the capability of Bankai, which brought with it a massive boost in speed and power.<p>

Kira grinned.

Soichiro Yagami was very interesting. 


	14. Chapter 14

I don't own Death Note.  
>Byakuya points Senbonzakura at Sasaki-San's neck Or Bleach! I don't own Bleach either!<p>Kira grinned. He had managed to track down Near, and now he would give his father an unpleasant surprise. From Los Noches, he had found a portal that led right to Near's headquarters in Washington, D.C. It couldn't get any better. He just had to slip in when Near was asleep, tear his soul from his body, and destroy it. This would be fun, fun, fun. Who ever said being a Hollow had to be all drudgery? True, it was lonely at the top, but that was just the way he liked it. Now, if he could just get his father's-no, Soichiro's-Hollow to surface, he would have it made. If he could convince the Hollow that it was in its best interest to revolt against Soichiro, then he would be able to single-handedly obliterate everyone who stood in his way. If only Soichiro weren't in his way...If he reappeared in Japan now, Soichiro would know. He would get in the way of his resurrection, and Kira would be forced into battle with him. He didn't want this. He wanted to eliminate him in as stealthy a way as possible. So he decided to lure him into a trap.<br>Plus, there was always the fun factor of killing his rival all over again. He had nailed L. M was toast, literally. Now he had his sights set on N. When all three of them were done for, Kira could make his glorious return.  
>Kira's grin split from ear to ear. Yes. Everything was going to plan. All that was left was execution.<p>

Kira slid his finger horizontally, drawing a black line in space. The fabric of space tore apart, revealing blackness. He stepped into this blackness, and tore another hole in space.  
>He stepped out in front of SPK headquarters. Everything was going so beautifully. He walked through the walls, sniffing the air for Reiatsu. He sensed a childlike Reiatsu. It smelled bored. He walked about until he noticed the smell getting stronger.<br>"There we go. He must be quite tired at this hour of the night. In a little while he should be asleep." Kira thought to himself. He smirked. How weak, needing to sleep. Hollows don't need sleep. They can go without it for months, even years. He was glad he didn't need to sleep. What a waste of time. And love? Who the hell needed love? All he really wanted was to be ruler of the world. And he would do whatever he needed to do in order to reach that goal.  
>He felt the Reiatsu weakening, slipping into a sleeping state. Now was the time to strike. He slipped into Near's bedroom. He looked at the boy sleeping. He felt great satisfaction as he stabbed his hand into Near's body, separating his soul and flesh. Near's soul was dazed and bewildered. He looked at the soul chain, then at Light Yagami. An expression of terror appeared on Near's face.<p>

Kira's half-masked facade would be the last thing Near would see in his life.

Kira grinned, and ripped a metal rod out of the reinforced concrete wall with his bare hands. He stabbed Near's soul through the neck with such force that he was pinned to the wall. As Near's Reiatsu evaporated from his soul, Kira breathed it in.

It was the sweet smell of victory.

He grinned when he saw the newspaper headlines.  
>"Kira Strikes Again!" "The Force of Justice Returns?" "Mysterious Death Associated With Kira!"<p>

At the same time, on the other side of the globe, Soichiro was mortified at those very same headlines. Light-no, Kira-was taking revenge on his killers. Was Matsuda next? Who would be the next victim? Or was all this just some sort of trick to bring the Kira Task Force into the open? Soichiro pondered over all of this as he lay on Matsuda's couch. This was just his second night in the human world, and he had heard from Aizawa that Sachiko had just started on the dating game. Thus, Soichiro considered it best to remain inconspicuous for now. He sighed. This was just a 13 year old kid. How could Light be so cold hearted? No...he was no longer Light. He was Kira now. He was acting accordingly. An aspect of the case that interested Soichiro was the fact that there was a reinforced-concrete rod pulled from the wall, and stabbed into the wall above Near's bed with no obvious method of doing so. It looked as if someone had ripped the reinforcing rod out of the wall with their bare hands. This puzzled the investigators, but not Soichiro. He knew who could've done it. Nobody but Light Yagami-turned-Vasto Lorde.

That night, Soichiro slept a tumultuous sleep. He dreamt of Near being impaled by the metal rod. His blood splashing all over the room. Light laughing. He saw himself being stabbed through the heart by Light Yagami-his son, not the Vasto Lorde-and Light licking the blood off of the kitchen knife he used, as if it were strawberry jam. He saw Light grinning as he ran Matsuda through with his katana.

He woke up in a cold sweat. Matsuda was in the kitchen making breakfast.  
>It was Saturday morning.<br>(He's not dead, no, no, he's right here, he's fine, stop thinking like this...) Soichiro tried reassuring himself, but nothing seemed to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.  
>Matsuda leaned to look at Soichiro.<br>"Good mornin. Seems ya didn't sleep too well."  
>"No...no, I didn't."<br>"Nightmares?"  
>"Yep."<br>"Wanna talk about them?"  
>"No...not really."<br>Soichiro walked to the bathroom, washed up, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. This was a new day. He had a chance at defeating Kira. He could rewrite the story. He could stop his worst nightmares from coming true.

What he didn't know was that one of them had already become reality.  
>- <p>


	15. Chapter 15

I don't own Bleach.  
>Light gives psychotic killer face Or Death Note! Ahh! Don't kill me! I don't wanna die!<p>Soichiro Yagami took the metro to the old Kira task force headquarters with Matsuda.<br>The only other surviving members were Mogi and Aizawa. Ide had quit, and moved overseas. They came shortly after Soichiro and Matsuda arrived.  
>When everyone was ready, Aizawa began.<br>"Does everyone know why we're all here?"  
>Everybody nodded.<br>"We're here because we believe that Kira has returned. And that he may be using another Death Note."  
>"That is unlikely, Aizawa. I have reason to believe that he is not using a Death Note." Soichiro replied.<br>"And what gives you that idea?"  
>"How would he rip a bar of metal out of a reinforced concrete wall, slamming it into the wall so hard it made a hole? If he used a Death Note, he couldn't do something like that."<br>"That is a good point. However, we still don't know to what extent he can manipulate events around a person's death. We have to keep that possibility on the table."  
>"I have something to add. When I battled Light in Seireitei, he had incredible physical abilities. He flung me several hundred feet with a single kick. So it isn't outlandish to assume that he could rip a steel bar from a solid concrete wall with his bare hands."<br>"Why do you think he'd do that, Chief?" Matsuda interrupted.  
>"I really don't know, Matsuda. He may be trying to lure us all out-curiosity killed the cat and all that. If that's the case, I would advise against all of us going to investigate together. We will have to split into two teams. I will be going. One person can go with me. Decide amongst yourselves who that will be."<br>"I want to go with you, Chief!" Matsuda practically leapt out of his seat with enthusiasm.  
>"Slow down, Matsuda. Ya sure you wanna go there? It may be dangerous." Mogi warned.<br>"I'm sure. I can handle myself!"  
>Aizawa and Mogi looked at each other for a moment. Then they looked at Matsuda, and then at Soichiro, who seemed indifferent to this whole hustle and bustle.<br>"Fine. You can go, I guess. It'll be good investigation experience for you." Aizawa said resignedly.  
>"Yes!" Matsuda pumped his fist in victory.<br>"I'll be going with you, Boss! To Washington, DC! This is great!"  
>"Matsuda...please curb your enthusiasm. This isn't a summer holiday. We'll be working. There will be a constant risk of being killed by Kira. Are you still sure you want to come?"<br>"Yes, I'm sure." Matsuda nodded excitedly.  
>"Well then. Get your bags packed, and book two tickets for next week. We'll have to get access to the crime scene, so you should bring your police badge, and consider booking a hotel for 3 weeks or so. The less conspicuous, the better. Use fake names and ID's when you book the hotel. We'll have to use our real passports on the flight, though. If we need more time, I'll find an apartment to rent near the crime scene. Got it?"<br>"Got it, Chief!"  
>"Aizawa and Mogi...you two hold the fort over here. If we need money, you can wire it from this account," handing Aizawa a slip of paper, "to that one."<br>"I didn't know you were so well-prepared for an operation like this." Aizawa puzzled.  
>"I set all of these things up when I went stateside for a Yakuza smuggling ring bust a few years ago. Never closed the accounts."<br>"Wow, Chief...you're amazing!" Matsuda was enamored with Soichiro's expertise.  
>"It's just part of being prepared. Let's get going. The sooner we get this over with, the better."<br>The group broke up, with Aizawa and Mogi remaining in the Task Force headquarters and Soichiro and Matsuda going home to pack clothing and book tickets. Soichiro would need some more casual clothing than he was used to. He hated looking sloppy, but his liking for neat, orderly clothing was a disadvantage when it attracted too much attention.  
>First, he dropped by the bank, withdrawing about 20,000 yen. That'd probably be enough to get several outfits to change through, and some luggage.<br>He got a few long-sleeved and short-sleeved t-shirts in muted colors, a comfortable waterproof jacket, and a fleece vest, in addition to the essential undergarments. He also purchased a slim pair of sunglasses. They would help mask his appearance. As for luggage, he figured didn't need much more than a large duffle bag and a small backpack for essentials like guidebooks and notepads.  
>By the time he got back to Matsuda's, he was lugging around about 50 pounds of clothing and luggage. He grumbled as he knocked on Matsuda's door. He didn't have a key, so he prayed that Matsuda would be home. Soichiro simply despised shopping. He didn't care for new clothes at all. He just got what he needed when he needed it, and dressed in plain office shirts. No patterns, barely any colors, and he almost never wore a tie. A jacket, yes, but a tie, no. Ties looked excessively flashy, and he hated how they felt around his neck. He was that type of person. Very down-to-earth and practical.<br>He sighed, pulling his mobile phone from his pocket. He dialed Matsuda's number. It went to voicemail. Soichiro groaned. Of all the times for Matsuda to have turned his phone off...now was the worst.  
>He waited for about 15 minutes, until he saw Matsuda's car pulling into the driveway. He shot an annoyed look at Matsuda, who ducked his head and mumbled hi quietly.<br>"Matsuda...why'd you have your phone off?"  
>"I was at the doctor's. Just getting a checkup. The sign said to turn off cell phones, so I did. I'm really sorry, Chief."<br>Soichiro sighed and smiled gently at Matsuda.  
>"That's all right, Matsuda. It wasn't important."<br>- 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, or Bleach.  
>I've traveled a bit recently, so I hate flying. I hope my distaste for travel shows through in this chapter. :)<p>One week later...<br>The day of the trip.  
>6:00 A.M Tokyo time.<br>A rock-n-roll guitar riff blared tinnily from Matsuda's phone. That was supposed to wake him up.  
>Instead, he chucked it at the laundry hamper in frustration. At the same time, a classical orchestral tune rang from Soichiro's mobile. He picked it up drowsily, looked at the time while blinking the sleep from his eyes, and suddenly realized with a start that they had a flight to catch in only three hours. And they had to be at the airport 2 hours in advance. He ran to the bedroom, shaking Matsuda awake roughly.<br>"Goddamnit Matsuda...wake up! We're going to miss the flight! Come on!" He growled through clenched teeth.  
>"Mmmph...ten more minutes, sheesh..."<br>"Matsuda! Wake up! We have to be at the airport in an hour!" Soichiro shouted.  
>"All right... I'm awake! Stop screaming at me!" Matsuda rubbed his bleary eyes, and sighed. When his eyes met Soichiro's, his face turned bright pink and he sat straight up.<br>"Ahh...sorry about that! Let me get changed, Chief."  
>"It's fine, Matsuda."<p>

After they got dressed, Matsuda grabbed the car keys, and drove with Soichiro to the airport. Soichiro paid for the parking, and they got through security breezily thanks to their Tokyo police IDs. They had breakfast in the airport, as they waited to board their coach-class flight. The flight stopped off in Sacramento International Airport, with a 5-hour layover. Soichiro and Matsuda arrived at D.C. International Airport late in the evening, jetlagged and exhausted.  
>They ran into their first problem while trying to get to their hotel. Neither of them knew exactly where the hotel Matsuda had booked was. They knew it was somewhere in the International District, but hotels were a dime a dozen there. Matsuda felt for his phone in his pockets. Matsuda's palm met his face as he realized that he had left it in his laundry hamper in Tokyo. It had the hotel reservation in an email that was on it.<br>They hunted for an Internet terminal, and clinked coins into the slot until it gave them access. Matsuda read the address from his webmail, and wrote it down on Soichiro's request.  
>They hailed a cab, which brought them straight to their hotel. They went right to their room, and Matsuda immediately kicked his sneakers off and fell backwards onto his plush bed. Soichiro unzipped his carry-on backpack, and plugged his and Matsuda's laptop, cellphone, and camera in to charge overnight. He lugged his duffle bag into a corner of the room, and shoved Matsuda's rolling bag into another corner. He went to the bathroom and washed up, changed into his sleeping robe, and flipped the TV on to see what news there was.<p>

Not much. The usual murders, thefts, sex offenders, a house fire, et cetera, et cetera. Nothing relevant to the case at hand, but interesting in their own way. Soichiro fingered his white poppy pendant as he mulled over how, exactly, they would find the SPK headquarters, and once they did, how they would manage to persuade their way behind that yellow crime scene tape.  
>He considered that a good way would probably be to act like private investigators, and strike up a good relationship with the local cops. Once they succeeded at that, the local security forces might be willing to let them into the crime scene. But once he gained access he'd have to deal with Federal agents, who might be somewhat hostile to unfamiliar faces intruding on their investigation.<p>

Maybe it would be better to just say straight away that they were part of the Japanese investigation team that had captured Kira. They would be most likely welcomed into the American team with open arms.  
>Soichiro didn't feel like sleeping, so he cracked open his laptop, sitting cross-legged on the ground, and mapped out the best way to get to the crime scene. He figured that if they went the same way every time, there was a fair chance of getting noticed by unsavory characters. So he plotted out a variety of different routes, numbering them, so they'd pick a random number each day and go by that route.<br>Seigi no Kaze's tips really were useful. Staying unpredictable was no easy task, and repeating the same move was always a mistake. By the time he finished plotting out the 20 or so routes, he was feeling mentally and physically drained. He needed to sleep, to rest his heart and mind. He wanted to forget about this whole matter of Kira, if only for a few hours.  
>As he pulled the covers around his body, he felt numb. Somehow, he felt as if all of these recent events had set a ball rolling, one that would end in either his or his son's destruction.<br>Soichiro Yagami shivered under the warm red cover.  
>He curled up and tried to sleep.<br>As he slept, he dreamt.  
>The dreams discomforted him.<br>No...The nightmares discomforted him. 


	17. Chapter 17

I don't own either Bleach or Death Note.

Soichiro Yagami was returning home from a long day's work at the station. As he inserted his key into the lock, he felt something was slightly amiss. The tongue of the lock clicked as he turned his key. The door swung open with a slight squeaking noise. He had wanted to oil its hinges for some time, he remembered. As he stepped in, he noticed that nobody was in the living room or kitchen. For some reason that he could not comprehend, steely terror clawed at his very heart. He felt incredibly tense, and his hand almost reflexively felt for his revolver. He checked himself. No. He shouldn't be paranoid. What if it was just a little surprise Sachiko and the kids had set up for him? Their anniversary was next week, after all. Maybe they were all upstairs, planning out a vacation or something.  
>A vacation. That sounded nice. He had been very busy for the last few weeks. There had been a very gruesome murder case just recently. A kid had stabbed his entire family to death. He was just 18. A year older than Light. It greatly pained him. He had been barely able to sleep for the last week or so.<br>He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart's restless thudding beat. He noted that the lights were on, vegetables lay half-sliced on the cutting boards, Sayu's homework was open on the dining room table, Light's sneakers stuffed into the shoe rack hurriedly. As if they had all been there just a minute ago. He climbed upstairs towards the bedrooms, his hand on his revolver's handle, feeling the solid, comforting, cool steel. Somehow, this contraption of metal made him feel safer.  
>He opened the door of his and Sachiko's bedroom.<p>

Soichiro would never be able to wipe the image that met him from his memory.  
>He saw Sachiko's body laying on the bed, her neck violently sliced open. Blood all over her gentle features, which were contorted into a final grimace of pain. The red fluid was all over the floor. It had stained the sheets, the walls, the carpet. He leaned on the door frame to steady himself. He gasped in and out, in and out, trying to regain his mental facilities from the shock he had just experienced.<br>Another thought flashed through his mind.  
>"Sayu!" He screamed.<br>As he burst into his teenaged daughter's room, he was horrified to find Sayu with her head laying on her laptop's keyboard, headphones still plugged in, blood all over the screen and desk and floor and everywhere, everywhere, everywhere...Dripping from her neck, to her fingertips, pooling on the ground.  
>The only one left was Light.<br>Soichiro tackled the door of his only son's room open, as it was locked tight.  
>Light was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading a newspaper. When Soichiro smashed his way in, he looked up calmly, indifferent to his father's forced entrance.<br>"Light...you're alive!" Soichiro exclaimed, with a confused and pained look in his eyes.  
>"Of course I am. Why so serious?"<br>"What do you mean, why so serious? Sachiko and Sayu are dead!" he screamed.  
>"Oh...crying shame." He turned slightly more attention to Soichiro, whose emotions were a muddy puddle of rain mixing with blood and tears. "Anyway, too bad you weren't here to see the show. It was quite fun." At this, Light put down his newspaper, and Soichiro recoiled at seeing Light's black shirt splattered across the front with red.<br>"You...killed them? Light...How..." Soichiro stepped back, his mind refusing to accept what he was seeing.  
>"With a kitchen knife, of course. How else?"<br>As he said this, he stood up and picked something up from besides the bed. It was a long, sharp, kitchen knife, drenched in sticky, strawberry-red blood.  
>Light walked slowly towards Soichiro, who had drawn his gun. Soichiro primed the round. His finger was on the trigger, ready to fire.<br>"You wouldn't do it, would you, father? Shoot your only son? The apple of your eye? Your pride and joy?" Light taunted.

Soichiro wavered. His deep brown pools of eyes were filled with tears. Tears of pain. Horror. Love. Hatred. Shock. Betrayal. Treachery.

Light struck, plunging the blade deep into Soichiro's chest.

Soichiro felt the icy steel run a path directly through his heart. His eyes met Light's, and he thought, for a moment, just a moment, a fraction of an eternity, he saw the tiniest twinge of regret in his son's eyes.  
>Soichiro's mouth opened in a silent scream.<p>

As he staggered backwards in agonizing pain, he clutched at his chest, where Light's blade had cut into him. He dropped his revolver, and fell onto his knees, still clutching at his own bleeding heart. As if his own hands could hold the blood in. Soichiro fell onto his back, blood spattering his glasses. He saw, through the darkness of his vision, Light grinning and licking his own father's warm, fresh blood off the blade.  
>As if it were strawberry jam, Soichiro thought.<br>Light looked at Soichiro, and, crouching, leaned in close to him. That grin was still plastered all over Light's face He whispered gently, almost lovingly, into his father's right ear.  
>"Good night...father."<br>He smiled, and kissed Soichiro lightly on his cheek. Like Soichiro used to kiss Light when he was a little boy, as he tucked him into bed. Soichiro's eyes spoke volumes about his feelings. Now, all they said was sorrow. That was all they told of. Sorrow. The pain and sadness of a man betrayed by the one whom he trusted and loved the most.  
>A single tear rolled from Soichiro's eye. It dripped into the pool of warm red blood that spilled forth from his broken heart. The dying man groaned his last belabored word.<br>"Why?"  
>Soichiro Yagami's eyes closed for the last time.<br>Light Yagami's grin became wider.  
>"Because I was bored." <p>


	18. Chapter 18

I don't own Death Note nor Bleach. Nor do I own a decent laptop. -_-

Soichiro Yagami opened his eyes, his body sticky with...blood? His hand crept to the left side of his chest, and he breathed when he realized that no, he wasn't just stabbed in the heart by Light Yagami, his own son. He had been sweating. Yes, it was hot, and he was sweaty. That's all. He rolled over, glancing at Matsuda's form, still breathing peacefully under the sheets. He relaxed a little. His fingers still ran over his chest, as if he was unsure whether he had been impaled by a kitchen knife or not.  
>He sighed and felt his heart beating. The repeated throbbing had a calming attribute to it. He slowly fell asleep once more, his hand still laying over his heart, his chest rising and falling with the methodical rhythm of his breathing.<p>

"Chief...Chief...Wake up! It's 9:00 already! We gotta get going!" Matsuda was panicking over their late start as Soichiro rolled over sleepily.  
>"Pick a random number from 1 to 20, Matsuda." he mumbled.<br>"What? Okay...seven!"  
>Soichiro sat up slowly, listening to the birds chirp outside the hotel's window. He swung his feet over the edge of his bed, the carpet roughly caressing his calloused feet. He walked into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, shaved, and washed up. It felt wrong, but he decided to shave his mustache. Just for the sake of being less recognizable. He sighed as he splashed water on his face. He felt somewhat uncovered without his mustache.<br>When he walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a long-sleeved tee, fleece vest, cargo pants, and sunglasses, he was nearly unrecognizable as being Soichiro Yagami. He looked somewhat outdoorsy.  
>Matsuda suppressed a chuckle at Soichiro's appearance, until Soichiro tossed him a printed, bright blue tee, and black jeans. He also threw him a pair of large headphones.<br>Matsuda looked at the t-shirt, then at his boss, then at the t-shirt again in bewilderment. He grumbled something about stupid American clothes, and stalked into the bathroom to change.  
>Matsuda looked like a complete punk when he came out. He was wearing the headphones around his neck, the jeans were a bit washed out and slightly tight, and the blue tee was hanging down over his waist. The cord was apparently plugged into Matsuda's iPod, as Soichiro could hear a hard rock beat blaring from the oversized listening devices. A few strands of hair hanging over Matsuda's face completed the look.<br>Soichiro grinned, and Matsuda pouted.  
>As they walked out, Soichiro grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. Matsuda put on a bright-orange tinted pair of sunglasses.<br>They took a circuituous route through the maze of twisty passages that made up the International District's roads, until they broke out of the concrete jungle into the higher-end business districts. The duo hunted about for the skyscraper that contained the SPK offices. At last, they reached their goal. A tall building, almost indistinguishable from all the others, except for the large number of police officers hanging around the entrance. Soichiro walked up to one of them, using his most professional attitude. That was difficult, considering his and Matsuda's clothing choices.  
>"Hello, Officer. Is this the location of the suspected Kira killings?"<br>"Who the hell are ya, man?"  
>Soichiro flashed his impressive-looking badge.<br>"Soichiro Yagami, with the Kira Task Force from Tokyo, Japan. Former police chief of Tokyo."  
>"Matsuda Touta, member of the Tokyo Police, and analyst on the Kira Task Force."<br>"Ehhh...whatever. You guys ain't Kira fans or somethin'?"  
>"Not at all. Our main goal in coming here is to aid in the capture of Kira."<br>"Yeah...all right then. You boys seem legit, so go on ahead."  
>As they walked into the lobby, Soichiro noted the dozens of detectives combing every desk, table, and possible hiding spot for evidence.<br>"Soichiro Yagami, Kira Investigation Team. Where is the location of the victim's death?" He asked one of the younger detectives.  
>"Right over there, the end of that hallway, Sir!"<br>"Thank you very much, Detective."  
>"You're welcome, Sir."<br>As Soichiro approached the room, the smell of rotting flesh assaulted his nose. He gagged back the feelings of nausea, and trudged on.  
>Matsuda didn't smell a thing, other than that new clothes smell from his t-shirt.<br>As Soichiro walked through the door, the smell got stronger, and he saw a sight directly from his nightmares.  
>Near's dead body was impaled by the metal rod, which ran directly through his neck. His decaying corpse hung over the bed, which was soaked with blood. The wall was covered with a massive blood splatter.<br>Soichiro turned pale and bent over, gasping.  
>"What's the matter, Chief?"<br>"Look...at the rod...Matsuda."  
>"What about it?"<br>"Near's body...it's rotting! It's impaled on that goddamned metal rod! Can't you see it?"  
>"Uhhh...Chief, you'd better sit down. I think you're imagining things."<br>Soichiro looked back at the rotting corpse of Near. It was still there. He went over to it and touched the blood that was dripping from its feet.  
>He showed Matsuda his bloody hand.<br>"What about your hand?"  
>"It has blood on it! Blood from Near's dead body, you idiot! It's hanging from that rod! Can't you see?"<br>"No! Are you going mad, Chief? You're really scaring me!"  
>Soichiro wiped the invisible blood into a handkerchief.<br>Matsuda shivered.  
>"You're really freaking me out, boss. How about you just go back to the...hey, what's the matter?"<br>Soichiro felt his mouth fill up with saliva. He knew right then that he was going to throw up. He ran off to the restrooms, and locked himself into a stall. He grasped the rim of the toilet, and gagged. He upchucked the contents of his stomach, which consisted of bitter black coffee, and stomach acids. The nauseating mixture burnt at his throat and mouth. He spat out as much as he could, then wiped his mouth off with toilet paper. He stood up shakily, still shaking off the effects of the nausea attack. Suddenly, realization hit him like a freight train.  
>That wasn't Near's body. It was his soul. Light had ripped the soul from Near's body, and destroyed it. No wonder Matsuda hadn't been able to see it. Souls were visible only to himself and other Shinigami. How could he get a normal person to see? Make them swallow a Soul Candy? How would he ever manage that?<br>Maybe he should try that idea out on Matsuda? No. He didn't want to force him into doing something he wouldn't normally do. Plus, he had no clue as to the possible side effects of a normal human using a Soul Candy. No...he couldn't try it out on Matsuda. It would be extremely cruel; Matsuda had absolute trust in him, and Soichiro was not a man who betrayed anyone's trust. He'd have to go to an expert. Kisuke Urahara, or maybe the Visoreds. Unfortunately, Kisuke was in Karakura Town, and he greatly disliked the idea of sending Aizawa or Mogi to meet that odd character. He'd have to figure out a solution on his own.  
>"Yagami-San...You all right in there?" Matsuda's voice was filled with concern.<br>"Yeah...fine. Don't worry about me. Just got a little sick."  
>He slid open the lock on the stall, and swung the door open. He felt a bit frustrated and more than a little tired.<br>"Umm. Yagami-San. Do you need medicine, a doctor, anything?"  
>"No, Matsuda. Just threw up. I'm fine now." "Oh...all right, Chief." He seemed disappointed at not having an opportunity to help Yagami-San out. Soichiro felt a throbbing headache creeping up on him.<br>(Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty in saying I'm all right...)  
>"Matsuda...I need you to go back to the hotel and get my camera."<br>"Yes, sir!" Matsuda said perkily.  
>He scampered off hurriedly towards the exit.<br>Soichiro walked out after washing his face and mouth. He sat down on a bench, puzzling over this conundrum. How could he get anybody to see what he could?

"Hey...You're Soichiro Yagami, aren't you? Head of the Kira Investigation Team from Japan?" A gruff voice spoke from behind him.  
>Soichiro looked behind him to find a tall, solidly-built man with sandy hair, slicked back in a similar fashion to his, looking about 40-some years old.<br>"And what if I am?" Soichiro was feeling contrary. He didn't want someone knowing who he really was without knowing who they were first.  
>"Well...I'm Anthony Rester, the commander of the SPK. Thought you'd be interested in knowing that."<br>"Pleased to meet you. I am, indeed, Soichiro Yagami."  
>"Nice job faking your own death. Even Near couldn't tell you were still alive."<br>"I didn't fake it." Soichiro grumbled under his breath.  
>"Hm?"<br>"Never mind. I suppose you've seen the location of Near's death?"  
>"Yeah. I keep seeing things there though...it's strange. As if it's haunted in a way. Never feel comfortable going there."<br>Soichiro sat up straight.  
>"What kind of things did you see?"<br>"Blood, mainly. Started smelling a real stink after a few days. The blood was there one second, and gone the next. I would look at a notepad or a report, and look up, and there'd be all this blood all over the wall, and when I blink, it'd all be gone. Really freaked me out. One time, I thought I saw poor Near's body stuck on that metal rod that was rammed into the wall. Thought I was going crazy." He shivered.  
>"You aren't crazy. I saw the exact same things."<br>"What... You're joking, right?"  
>"Near's body, impaled through the neck by that steel rod. Blood dripping from the body, splattered all over the walls and floor. A really bad smell of rotten flesh. I touched the wall, and saw the blood on my very own hand. I actually threw up because of the smell."<br>"Yeah...I think this place is cursed in a way. Even though I'm not the kind of guy to believe in the supernatural, I kind of feel that maybe Kira's come back as a ghost or something. Especially after that whole Death Notebook thing. It's puzzling me to no end. Plus, how would someone rip that huge steel rod from a solid concrete wall? It's ridiculous. Just ridiculous." Rester shook his head.  
>"I will say one thing. Your theory about Kira being a ghost isn't too far off."<br>"You're just pulling my leg now, aren't ya?"  
>"I am dead serious. I have my own opinions on this case, and you can have your own. Just remember that not everything can be explained by pure logic. Take the question of where you go after you die. What happens to your consciousness? The soul is separate from the flesh and blood body. That's why some people can have out of body experiences and see things happening to them and to other people, when physically, they couldn't have seen those things. But somehow, something connects their soul to their physical body. That's how they manage to regain control of their body. Now...once your body is entirely destroyed...becomes uninhabitable...what happens to that connection? Where will your soul go then? Think about it. It may help you figure this whole matter out."<br>"I don't quite see what you're trying to get at by telling me all this..."  
>"What I'm telling you is that Near's soul was ripped out of his body and obliterated by another soul. That's why there's all of this blood, the awful smell, and so on and so forth. It isn't cursed; we just have a double murder."<br>"But aren't souls unaffected by...physical matter? Wouldn't a steel rod go straight through him harmlessly?"  
>"Not if it was stabbed at him by another soul. Kira's soul."<br>"But...how could he rip it out of the wall...?"  
>"Kira has enough spiritual pressure to interact with the physical world, even after death. However, he cannot be seen except by humans with above-average spirit sensitivity. Or by a soul that is no longer in it's original body."<br>"Ahh.. No offense, but I think this is a little too much for me to believe."  
>"I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm just telling you what I think."<br>"All right then... I'll think it over, maybe see you some other time. Nice talking to ya, Mr. Yagami."  
>"You too, Mr. Rester."<br>So...Rester could see souls to some extent. Could he see him in Shinigami form?  
>Probably not worth taking the chance of making a potentially important ally seem insane. But...maybe...no. Japanese culture was very accepting of the concept of Shinigami, of souls separate from bodies. It was easy to tell the truth to Matsuda and the others, because it would lead to confirmation bias. They already believed in the possibility of Shinigami, so all of the other elements of Soul Society easily fit in place with that basic cultural belief.<br>But Rester...he would be more difficult to persuade. He was skeptical about this kind of thing, about ghosts and souls and life after death. He was too...rooted in science and the physical. Maybe...if he could...no. A Soul Candy would be impossible to administer to someone like that. Rester was way too stiff and uptight. Soichiro could never trick him into swallowing it, and anyway, he didn't know whether swallowing a Soul Candy would break an individual's Soul Chain, which kept their soul bound to their body, and their body alive. If it broke... He didn't want to think about all of the disastrous consequences of a mistake like that.  
>Soichiro sighed and held his head in his hands. He'd just have to wait for Matsuda to bring his camera. He needed to perform an experiment with it. He'd take pictures of the spot where Near's soul was destroyed, and test if he could see the body on the camera's viewfinder, on its display, and as a printed image. If both he and Matsuda could see it in all cases, then souls could interact with physical light, just at a wavelength outside of what humans could see. Cameras typically can detect wavelengths slightly outside of human range; it was a basic high school science experiment. Click the buttons on a remote at a digital camera; you'd see the small light on the front of the remote glowing on the camera display, but not in real life. The camera just compresses those invisible wavelengths to the closest corresponding color within visible wavelengths. So...souls would most likely appear as off color silhouettes in the images. How about physically? Were they at a different wavelength of...matter? Was that even...<br>"Hey Yagami-San! Here's the camera!" Matsuda said cheerily.  
>"Hm? Oh, good job, Matsuda." Soichiro smiled slightly.<br>He walked back into the room where he had found the impaled soul.  
>Snap, snap, snap. Not a single camera shot showed even the faintest hint of a silhouette.<br>"Dammit."  
>"Something the matter, boss?"<br>"No...no. Just...something didn't quite work the way I expected it to."  
>"Uhh...sorry to bother you about this, but...I'm really, really hungry, so...whenever you're done...I'd really like to drop by somewhere to eat." Matsuda looked quite nervous, twiddling his thumbs, as if he was afraid that Yagami-San would be mad at him.<br>"Be patient, Matsuda..." Soichiro grumbled as he fiddled with the exposure and aperture settings.  
>Snap, snap, snap. Still no results. This was getting frustrating.<br>Why am I doing this? Do I need to prove my own sanity to myself or Matsuda or Rester or anybody else? I know what I've seen. All I need to do now is find Kira. Stop him. Keep him from killing or harming more people. That's all I need to do. Soichiro thought.  
>"All right, Matsuda...let's go." <p>


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Bleach.

They walked a few blocks to a pleasant little cafe that reminded Soichiro a bit of the Silver Dragonfly.  
>They sat down when Matsuda had finished ordering his outlandishly sweet coffee-based concoction, and Soichiro had requested a black tea, no sugar, no milk.<br>"Matsuda...what do you think of this whole...case?"  
>"Hmm...well... It kinda reminds me of Kira. I mean, who else would know about Near? But...there's something a little weird about it."<br>"And what is that?"  
>"Well...why hasn't Kira killed us...killed me...yet? I mean, I was the one who shot him, after all."<br>"Interesting observation, Matsuda."  
>"So...what do you think, boss?"<br>"I think that Kira is not killing purely for revenge. He is attempting to lure me into facing him in battle. I will fight him, thus taking his bait. Only one of us can come out of it alive."  
>"Yagami-San! Why...?"<br>"Because if I do not, he will start killing other people whom I care about. He is holding all of you hostage. He has forced my hand into fighting him. I do not want to do this, but he has left me with no more options."  
>"But...I don't want you to die...Yagami-San, don't, please! I need you...we all need you!"<br>"My death, if it comes to that, will not be in vain. Have a little faith, Matsuda. What is the worst that will happen? I'll die? What's the matter with it, as long as none of you are harmed? I've never wanted anything more. That's why I became a police officer...about 35 years ago. I wanted to protect people. I wanted to become stronger so I could protect those who couldn't protect themselves. I wanted to execute justice. I had seen so many injustices. My parents lived through World War II, Matsuda. I could never give as much as they did. I would always be overshadowed by their honorable sacrifice. But I can try to at least live up to their high expectations of me."  
>"...I...understand..." Matsuda said, looking down. He sounded very depressed and disappointed. As if he were a child who had just heard about death for the first time in his life.<br>"Matsuda...I can't always be there for you. You'll have to find your own way at some point. You can't lean on me or Aizawa or Mogi forever."  
>"Yeah...I know." He looked at Yagami-San, his eyes strangely sharp. They were filled with tears, but they screamed. "I will try harder. I will get better. You can rely on me. I will not disappoint you."<br>Wordless. Unspoken. Thus, their pact was made.  
>They spent the afternoon exploring the city, like any typical tourists would. They both knew that the next day might see one or both of them dead. But...somehow, that made the short time they had together all the sweeter. Matsuda felt so grateful for Yagami-San's patience with his childish demeanor, and Soichiro felt that Matsuda was the son he never had. He was what he wished Light was like. And Yagami-San was what Matsuda imagined having a father to feel like.<br>By the end of the day, Soichiro and Matsuda were both quite worn out, but...they felt better than they had in ages. Memories. That was what they had gained. Precious moments, a little smile here, Yagami-San's arm caressing Matsuda's shoulder, Matsuda chuckling at a funny little thing or another. They didn't need to remember each other with material possessions. It was actions, words, little shining pieces of memories. Yagami-San slid the room key into the door. He tossed the backpack casually aside, pulled his regular outfit out of his duffel bag, and walked into the bathroom to shower and change.  
>Matsuda, as per his habit, kicked off his shoes, and hopped onto his bed. He flipped the TV on, switching to the news. He watched a few stories. If this was all people watched here... So much for reasonable reporting...<br>His stomach grumbled.  
>The hotel didn't have room service, and he wasn't in the mood for chips or packaged food. At all. He craved fresh Japanese food.<br>He snapped the TV off, slipped his shoes on. As he crept out of the room, being careful not to let the door slam, he unfolded the DC tourists map he had stuffed into his pocket. He remembered his handgun after he had locked the door. (Never mind that; there're no Yakuza around here, right? Right? I hope not...)  
>He grinned when he saw that there were more than a dozen sushi shops nearby. However, when he looked at the map's scale, he realized that most of them were on the other side of town. Only a few were within walking distance. He shrugged, stuffing the map back into his pocket.<p>

As he walked along the neon-lit International District, Matsuda began feeling more and more nervous. Maybe he should've told Soichiro before he went, maybe left a note. He definitely felt like he should have taken his weapon with him. More than a few unsavory figures with what Matsuda hoped weren't high-caliber firearms stuffed down their jackets had eyed each other, as if they were sizing their opponents up. Matsuda just stuck his hands into his pockets, leaned forward a little, and walked faster. He tried to keep his eyes off of the suspicious-looking people. They had an unsettling resemblance to the Japanese Yakuza gangsters he had run into before.  
>About a mile into his two-mile walk to the sushi restaurant, he saw two groups of heavily armed people on the same side of the street. It looked like some sort of deal was going on between them. Matsuda knew it was best to keep his head down, but his curiosity got the best of him. He looked up. Some of the gangsters had AK-47s, and all of them had at least Desert Eagles. One of them even had a SPAS-12 shotgun. They were shouting something unintellingible at each other.<br>A gunshot rang out, sending Matsuda ducking for cover behind a garbage bin. Anoter group of gangsters emerged from the alleyways on the side of the street Matsuda was on. They positioned themselves behind cars and dumpsters, blasting away at the original group's cover. Matsuda was cowering helplessly, expecting a stray bullet to hit him any minute now.  
>"Yagami-San...please...help..." he whimpered under his breath. A grenade explosion rattled the street, raining chunks of asphalt and debris across the sidewalk. The noise was earsplittingly loud. Matsuda's hearing was useless for a few seconds, and he could only hear his own heartbeat. He thought he had gone deaf, until he heard the echo of semi-automatic gunfire resume. He peeked a little around the edge of the garbage bin he was hiding behind. A hot blade of metal shredded into his right arm as soon as he peeked out. He ducked back, and squirmed in pain. "Oh...Yagami-San...where are you...?"<p>

Soichiro Yagami felt a bolt of pain shoot through his right arm as he pulled on his shirt and buttoned it up. He winced. It felt as if a bullet had torn into it. He opened the bathroom door, and was surprised to find Matsuda nowhere to be seen. He paced up and down the room nervously. Where could he be? He could ask the hotel clerk...  
>He put his shoes on, and hurried down the stairs to the ground floor.<br>"Have you seen a man about 28 years old, black hair, brown eyes, wearing a blue t-shirt, black jeans, leaving in the past half hour or so?"  
>The young lady looked up from her newspaper.<br>"Was he Japanese?"  
>"Yes, that's him. Do you know where he went?"<br>"Well...he asked me for directions to that sushi shop about 2 miles south from here. It's really rough over there at night, and I've heard of a few gang shootings there recently."  
>"Gang violence? Matsuda...what have you gotten yourself into?" Soichiro thought.<br>He waved and smiled at the receptionist, and jogged out. He broke into a run as soon as he was out of the door. Matsuda must be in trouble. He just knew it. The kid shouldn't have left without taking a weapon of sorts, or telling him. Why, Matsuda...why? Always so headstrong and reckless. He had always been a bit careless, but this was bordering on suicidal.  
>As he neared the location of the sushi restaurant, he heard gunfire. He pulled out his own Desert Eagle .50 Caliber, and fired off a few warning shots in the direction of the gangsters on the opposite side of the road. He took cover behind a low concrete wall in an alleyway as a few shots flew at him.<br>He tossed a flash-bang grenade across the road, and plugged his ears.  
>It made little difference in the pain. His ears felt like they were going to burst. But at least he wasn't temporarily deaf.<br>He sprinted over to Matsuda, who was hunkered down behind a garbage bin. Soichiro grabbed his arm, pushed his body over Matsuda's to shield him from the retaliatory hail of bullets, and ran with Matsuda to the alleyway.  
>He felt something hot rip through the top of his right shoulder. Another hot particle lodged itself in his back. Yet another smashed into his left shoulder blade. He shoved Matsuda roughly behind the concrete barrier he hid behind before, and dropped a smoke grenade as he fired off a few more cover shots and got himself behind the cover. Another bullet hit him, this one in the chest. He grunted in pain as the impact spread across his body, but didn't even flinch.<br>The smoke grenade went off, and Soichiro pulled Matsuda along the alleyway, limping with him back to the hotel with remarkable speed for a man with 4 rounds of ammo pumped into him. He staggered wordlesssly into the hotel's entrance, collapsing on the floor as the adrenaline drained away from his body.  
>Matsuda was still shell-shocked and completely wordless. He fell to his knees, leaning over Soichiro's body. He grasped at Soichiro's chest, shouting hoarsely at the gaping receptionist to call an ambulance, we can't let him die like this. He could barely hear the words coming from his mouth over his own heartbeat. He felt around the Chief's neck for a pulse. His heart was still beating. He looked for wounds. The back of his shirt was stained with blood. A punctured metallic plate met his touch. Yagami-San was wearing a bullet resistant plate under his shirt. It had holes punched through it. He tore at the shirt, tossed the metal aside with a clank, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was surprised at how muscular the Chief was for his age. He felt at Yagami-San's wounds. They didn't seem too deep, but the bullets might have fragmented...He turned the Chief over onto his back, tossed another metallic plate away, felt at Yagami-San's chest wound. The bullet was nearly on the surface. He gritted his teeth, and pulled the bullet out of Soichiro's chest. Matsuda tossed it aside, staring into Yagami-San's eyes, which were slowly closing. As the paramedics rushed into the hotel, he demanded to go with him, shouted that he was his only friend, screamed angry curses in Japanese at them when they dragged his only real friend off in a stretcher into the back of their ambulance. He felt worthless. He stalked upstairs to his room, bent over, angry tears forming in his eyes. As soon as he closed his door, he sat down, back against the wall, knees pointing upwards, head resting on his knees, rocking gently back and forth, sobbing, angry and sad and frustrated and feeling betrayed and weak and pathetic and the cause of so many problems. Soichiro's injuries were entirely his fault. He was worthless, he only caused trouble, pain, problems, hurt, heartache. He sniffed, kicked off his shoes, and curled up in bed. He was so lonely without Soichiro. Why couldn't he be there with him? Why wouldn't they let him? What was the point of that, huh? He blinked away tears and sniffled again. "Yagami-San...I wish I could protect you. I wish I was in your place, and you in mine, me dying to save your life. I feel so alone without you." he said to nobody in particular.<br>He slowly began to fall asleep, rolling about, holding the blanket closely, as if it could comfort his aching heart. Like he would help him feel better if he reverted to his childish behaviors. They only reminded him of a time long ago. When all this hurt, all this pain, didn't exist. Only it didn't reduce the pain he felt now. It only made the contrast sharper. He wished he was smarter, wiser, more capable. He had betrayed himself. His own trust. Yagami-San's trust. Yagami-San...  
>- <p>


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Bleach. And I'm getting tired of writing this bloody disclaimer.

The next morning, Matsuda heard the phone ringing on the side of his hotel bed. He rolled over and picked it up angrily.  
>"Hello?"<br>"Matsuda? You all right?"  
>Matsuda grinned, tears of happiness rolling from his eyes, his heart leaping into his throat at hearing Soichiro's voice.<br>"I'm fine now that I know you're still alive, Yagami-San. I missed you so much...I can't even say how much. I'm so sorry for getting you hurt, Soichiro. I wish I was stronger. I wish I lived up to you."  
>"Don't hurt yourself with that kind of talk. You're braver than many. You're strong in your own way. I heard about what you did last night. You took the bullet out of my chest, didn't you?"<br>"Yeah...I did."  
>"I'm proud of you, Matsuda. You remind me of a little kid who always wants to do his best. This time you really blew me away. You stood up to your fears. You didn't panic. You stayed calm under pressure. You're wonderful, Matsuda."<br>"Where're you staying, Chief?"  
>"No need to worry about that. I'll probably be released tonight. It was just a flesh wound. Nothing crucial got hit."<br>"I just wanna say...You were a real hero back then, Yagami-San. I wish I was like you."  
>"You already are a lot like me. I have to go now. See ya tonight, Matsuda."<br>"Yeah...see ya...Soichiro."  
>He hung up and sighed, realizing that he was smiling sadly, a salty ocean of tears in his eyes. He felt his heart unclenching, expanding. He was a little happier. A little lighter.<br>He washed his face, picked up the phonebook. He called every hospital he could find in the area, asking around for Soichiro by his alias, Shijuru Asahi, and by his real name. He finally found him at a nearby city hospital. Room 173 in the recovery wing.  
>He put on his normal salmon shirt, black jacket and pants, bandaged up the wound on his arm, grabbed a few dollars off the table for the bus fare.<br>As he stepped onto the bus, he found a familiar face. Rester. He patted the empty seat next to him, a slight smile on his face. Matsuda sat down compliantly.  
>"Anthony Rester?"<br>"Yeah, that's right. I guess you're going to the hospital?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"I heard about Mr. Yagami's injuries. I'm really sorry about the whole mess. He was a real hero back there, I heard."  
>"Yeah. He was. He saved my life. It must've really hurt him though."<br>"I've been shot before...and I can't really say that it hurts too badly at the moment, what with the adrenaline and all. Afterwards... That's when the real pain sets in. At least if you aren't wearing a bulletproof vest."  
>"Hm."<br>Matsuda was silent for the rest of the ride, and Rester seemed to get the point that Matsuda wasn't really in the mood for talking with him. He seemed to be concerned with Soichiro's condition.  
>They walked in silence to Soichiro's room. He was resting peacefully, an IV painkiller drip in his wrist. As Matsuda and Rester opened the door and entered, a smile danced on his face. He had bandages wrapped across his torso, but his face was vivid and full of life, and he was sitting up, which was definitely a good sign.<br>"Matsuda...Rester. You didn't need to bother with coming here. I'm going to be all right, just wait until tonight. You don't need to worry yourselves." "I just wanted to come here, to see you. Can't be expected to just do nothing all this time, can I?" Matsuda grinned mischievously.  
>"No...I suppose not. And Rester, what brings you here?"<br>"Concern for a colleague. You're a really impressive man, ya know that? You'd have gotten a purple heart for that kind of bravery had you been in the Army."  
>"He's Matsuda. I'll protect him like my own son. If getting shot is the only way to accomplish that, so be it."<br>Matsuda walked over to Yagami-San, and he grasped the Chief's rough, wrinkled, tanned hand with his own soft, smooth, pale hands. The Chief smiled kindly at his subordinate. Matsuda pulled himself a little closer to Soichiro, feeling safe and warm and comforted now that he was in his presence. Rester observed the caring gesture with a quiet smile that reached up to his eyes. He knew now how much the two cared for each other.

By nighttime, Soichiro was released from the recovery ward. He would need to take painkillers for the next few days, and his chest and back ached all over from the stitches, but otherwise he was all right and that was all Matsuda really cared about. As they took a cab back to their hotel, Matsuda thought about how much he'd taken Soichiro Yagami for granted. He always assumed that he'd never falter, that he was invulnerable, that he could protect anybody. He was Matsuda's hero. But he was only human. He had emotions, feelings, pain, sorrow, love, passion. Matsuda never really had a chance to see that side of Yagami-San. He always kept his feelings to himself in a way. But Matsuda felt now that Soichiro had so much hidden inside that was just begging to come to the surface, to be told, sung, shouted. He wanted to know more about Soichiro, wanted to explore him, wanted to know who he really was before he slipped away from him once again. So when they were both in the hotel room, alone, Matsuda asked him.  
>"Yagami-San, could you tell me about your life, please?"<br>Soichiro was laying on the bed. He looked drained, and a slight bit of stubble had sprouted on his face.  
>He looked at Matsuda and sighed.<br>"You know what, Matsuda? You sound like one of those Sakura-TV reporters." A slight smile was on his lips.  
>"Please, Yagami-San? I really wanna know more about you."<br>Soichiro relented.  
>He told Matsuda everything about him. His stories, where he went to school, what his parents were like, how he had grown up, why he became a police officer.<br>One story stuck with Matsuda.  
>"One day, my mother went out to get something, I forgot what it was. She told me to stay home, make sure nobody breaks in. I was about...15 or 16 at the time. That was the last time I saw her. I remember working on my mathematics homework when the phone rang. It was my dad. He worked in the local hospital. He said that my mother had been shot and was dying. I was so shocked, I asked him if he was serious. He told me he was. By the time I had gotten to the hospital, she was dead. My father was in grief. He couldn't save her, and he blamed himself for not being good enough. I tried as best as I could to console him, tell him that it wasn't his fault, it was the killer's fault, that if we could find out whoever it was, he could be tried and executed. He snapped at me, screamed how I didn't understand what he felt. I was so sad, since he had never shouted at me before. He was always so quiet and gentle. And what made it worse was that the police officer said that they couldn't identify who killed her. That maybe it was just an accident, someone mistaken for someone else. Or maybe it was Yakuza.<br>"At that point, I decided...no. I swore I would find whoever had killed my mother, and avenge her. That was why I became a police officer.  
>"I joined the force at age 23, and as soon as I passed the academy training, I started hunting through old cases and killings, trying to get my mother's killer apprehended. There had been no witnesses, and thus no suspects. It was the 70s then, so they didn't have bullet forensics like today's where they can determine exactly what kind of gun it was fired from, at what angle, and all that.<br>Soichiro shook his head and sighed.  
>"I was hopelessly naiive. I thought that maybe I could hunt down the killer like in those cop shows. The thing was, I didn't have a single lead. I could never find him. Or her. I never knew who killed my mother."<br>"I was, however, the best cop in the division. Worked hard, stayed up nights, did whatever my boss told me. Just like you, Matsuda. I put everything I had into work. Except that I hated the Chief. He was really bossy, didn't respect people, sort of just sat there and ordered people around. Never did any work himself. I swore I'd never become like him. And here I am. Chief of Police of Tokyo." He chuckled gently.  
>"Eventually, that guy retired. I was about 39 when he retired, and was basically the best and brightest of the force. He picked me to replace him. Everybody was relieved.<br>"Even though I was Chief of Police, I still did everything with the rest of the team, as if I were a regular cop. Investigating cases, collecting evidence, going to crime scenes. I never forgot where I started. And then you came along."  
>At this, Matsuda grinned shyly.<br>"You were clumsy, bumbling, didn't know a bit about staying organized or following protocol. But I loved your charisma, your strength of will, your attitude of wanting to do more, to get better. You were like a kid. I took you under my wing, and I decided then that I'd shape you into a real cop. Someone worthy of replacing me as Chief."  
>Matsuda was speechless. He didn't know how how high Yagami-San's goals had been for him.<br>"I never thought anything like Kira would come around. If that hadn't...happened, I would have gotten much farther in training you to lead. But...it's better this way, I think. You were never a leader, Matsuda. All you've ever wanted was to be the best you can be. I guess I realize that now."  
>Soichiro was staring at the fan whipping the air through the room. He was laying on his back, a contemplative look written all over his face. He sighed deeply, turning towards Matsuda and forcing a slight smile.<br>Matsuda was enthralled by the Chief's life. He felt a little disappointed at Yagami-San's story ending as it did. But he reminded himself that this was reality. There wasn't a happy ending in real life. He sighed, sitting on the edge of his own bed.  
>"Get some rest, Yagami-San. You look really tired."<br>"Hmm? All right then, just give me a minute."  
>Yagami-San sat up with a groan, walking over to his bag of clothes. He picked up his sleeping robe, and went to the bathroom to change in privacy.<br>Matsuda changed into his pajamas and a tee, and his clothes were stuffed messily into his luggage. He sighed, sitting at the edge of his bed.  
>Soichiro came out of the bathroom, and slipped under his covers.<br>"Aren't you going to be sleeping, Matsuda?"  
>"Nah. Don't really feel like it."<br>"Suit yourself, I suppose."  
>"Good night, Chief."<br>"Night, Matsuda."

Matsuda watched the Chief as he slept, looking so peaceful as his body rose and fell with the gentle rhythms of his breathing. The bandages were wrapped all over his chest, but he didn't seem in pain even slightly. He laid his head on his own pillow, and slid under the covers, still watching Yagami-San's rhythmic breathing. He rested his head on his hand, observing the way Soichiro shifted in his sleep, listening to his breath whispering in and out through his nose, looking at the stubble that was slowly growing out where his mustache had been, wondering whether the wounds under those bandages had healed or not. Whether the wounds in his heart would ever heal. He slipped under the Chief's blanket, and was lulled to sleep, listening to Yagami-San's rhythmic heartbeat, Matsuda's head laying on Soichiro's bandaged chest, looking like a little kid who had crept into his father's bed to find solace from his nightmares. 


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Death Note; I am also too poor to sue.

As Soichiro opened his eyes, he saw...Something laying on his chest. It was Matsuda. His head was laying on his chest, and he had slobbered all over him. Soichiro gently lifted the young man's head, slipping out from under him, and laying his head back on the pillow. He went to the bathroom and washed off Matsuda's spit from his chest and neck. Matsuda was so much like Sayu...Soichiro sighed in sad memory. Where were they now? He wondered. It was a bit more than a month. He closed his eyes, trying to remember.  
>He couldn't remember even the appearance of his own house. How come? He felt pathetic. He barely remembered Sayu, and Light, and Sachiko. It felt like years since he'd seen Light. He'd never really seemed the same since the Kira case. He knew it was because he was Kira. Kira wasn't like him. He was separate. His Hollow was Kira. And he felt his presence nearing.<p>

"Hello, Tou-San. It's been a while."  
>Soichiro felt a shiver go through his spine. He saw Kira standing right behind him through the mirror. He clenched his teeth, knocked back the Soul Candy, swallowed hard. He braced himself for battle. One last time.<br>As his soul separated from his body and he spun around, he saw Kira standing in front of him, all white skin, white hair, and white kimono, looking like a cold marble version of Light. He had Light, his precious son, in a chokehold, with a katana to his neck.  
>Soichiro roared in choking fury. He pulled out his katanas, crossing them in front of him.<br>"Strike and protect with the swiftness of wind! Seigi no Kaze!" A tendrilly vine of black wind made its way around Kira's neck, groping and crushing and choking.  
>Light was free as Kira ripped at his throat, which was being crushed by an incredible force.<br>As soon as Light was in the relative safety of his father's side, Soichiro closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. He became sharply aware of a blade heading for his chest and a screaming from Kira's location. He flashstepped away from danger, his eyes widening when he noticed that Kira and Light were switched. He had been choking Light, and barely avoided being slain by Kira.  
>"Pull out your Zanpakuto, Kira." He faced his son.<br>"Dad! What's wrong with you? I'm not Kira! He is!"  
>Light pointed at the pale white version of him. It had drawn its blade, aiming it at Soichiro, and was currently flying towards him, a maniacal grin on its face. Soichiro parried expertly, and flash stepped out of the building with his son in his protection, taking the fight into the cool summer air outside.<br>Kira smirked. He flash stepped behind the Yagami men, slashing wildly at Soichiro's back. Soichiro winced, expecting a blade to strike him down. He was surprised to hear a blade clash with Kira's, protecting him.  
>Light had drawn a katana of pure light from the air. It was a beautiful sunset yellow, glowing like the dying sun. Its light shimmered on his pale moon face, glinting off his scarlet-brown and black flecked hair, lighting a fire in his lively cedar eyes.<br>"I will fight him, Tou-San."  
>"Light...no. You'll get yourself killed. You have so much ahead of you to look forward to. I'm an old man. I'm expendable, and you aren't. Please, Light. I'll fight him."<br>Light didn't budge.  
>"Sorry, Tou-San. This is between me and my Hollow now. It's my fight. You shouldn't interfere."<br>Soichiro was taken aback at Light's statement. But he saw how determined his son was. He let him fight.

He couldn't help but wince when Light-his Light, his pride and joy-was slashed at and attacked by the Hollow, when their blades clashed, when the Hollow kicked at Light and connected.  
>The kick struck Light directly in the gut, knocking him unconscious.<br>Soichiro struck at the Hollow heedlessly, ripping his Hollow mask on. His speed almost tripled when he did this. He threw a lightning-quick slash with both blades, and then stabbed with the right while parrying with the left, and then the Hollow struck back at him. The Hollow grinned and pulled a dagger from the folds of his kimono as Soichiro's two blades were occupied blocking a pushing stroke by the Hollow. He sunk the blade into Yagami-San's heart, grinning as the chain connecting the older man's blades covered with blood.  
>Soichiro closed his eyes in pain, not a single noise leaving his lips. He fell to his knees, staying there for a moment as he tried to remove the dagger from his chest. He grunted as it slid from his body with a slicing sound, and fell to his hands and knees, looking at the blood dripping on the ground from his chest before collapsing into the pool of redness.<br>"Roar with...the power of lightning...Seigi no Kazeshine." he whispered with his weakening breath. His Zanpakuto didn't transform. It simply sat there, mourning. Its master was slain, his heart bleeding out, his soul destroyed.  
>The Hollow smiled and turned towards the unconscious Light. A crackling noise made the white-robed man stop in his tracks. As he turned around, a deadly shock of electricity burnt through his body, obliterating him.<br>After a few minutes, Light got up, and staggered in horror when he saw his father dying on the ground in front of him. Light lifted his father into his arms, holding him close, pressing his soft, smooth cheek against his father's rough stubbly face.  
>"Tou-San...don't die...don't die, please, Tou-San! I love you! Don't you die on me now!"<br>"Light...I...always loved you..." Soichiro groaned, his life slowly slipping away from him. He felt himself growing weaker and weaker. Light touched at his father's chest with his delicate fingers, focusing all of his mental strength on closing the wound.  
>Soichiro felt Light's efforts slowing the bleeding, but it was far too late for that. He was going to die for certain.<br>"Yagami-San!" A young woman's voice shouted.  
>Light looked around to find a girl in her twenties with tousled sky-blue hair, pale skin, a black kimono and a beautiful, slightly rounded face running towards him. She looked horrified at the sight of Soichiro bleeding and dying and in terrible, terrible pain. She kneeled next to Light, pressed her hands against the wound, forcing blue Reiatsu through the Chief's heart. Soichiro felt his pulse's strength returning slowly. He opened his eyes to find both Light and Isane placing their hands on his chest, pushing their strong, healthy Reiatsu through his wounded body. He smiled gently, closing his eyes once again and slipping into a gentle, undisturbed sleep for the first time in ages. Light looked at Isane.<br>"Who are you?"  
>"Isane Kotetsu, lieutenant of Shinigami Squad 4. You're Light Yagami, aren't you?"<br>"Yeah. That's me."  
>"And he's your father. Soichiro Yagami. A real hero many times over."<br>"I suppose so."  
>"He's saved the lives of at least a dozen people, and that's just after his death. How can he not be a hero?"<br>"Yeah. Yeah, he is a hero. I'm... proud of him, I guess."  
>"You should be. He's an amazing man, Light. You should be thankful for having such a noble man be your father."<br>Light sighed. He stared at his father's sleeping face, as if it had been the first time he'd seen the man. He noticed his hand sliding over Soichiro Yagami's chest, running over his heart, feeling its strong, solid rhythm reverberate through his own body. He smiled beautifully; a real, genuine smile, not one of Kira's false grins. He kissed his wonderful, brave father on the cheek tenderly, as though he were a tiny little boy who had just fell asleep. Isane and Light hefted the large, muscular man up to the hotel room, and thanks to Isane's flash-step, didn't have too much trouble getting him there. 


	22. Chapter 22

Yay! Final chapter! Please review; requests are welcome! And I still don't own neither Bleach nor Death Note.

Matsuda rolled off the bed, hitting his head on the nightstand.  
>"Owwww..." he moaned, rubbing his throbbing head.<br>"Yagami-San? Where are you?"  
>He peered into the corridor leading to the bathroom, finding Yagami-San leaning against the wall casually, in his dress clothing, one foot on the wall, his arms crossed.<br>Was that really Yagami-San?  
>"Hey, Matsu. Sup? Sleep well last night?"<br>He didn't sound like Yagami-San.  
>Suddenly, Matsuda remembered what the Chief had told him.<br>"You're a Soul Candy, aren't you?"  
>"Yeah, why?"<br>Matsuda gripped the collar of his shirt.  
>"Where's Yagami-San? Tell me!"<br>"Dunno. Probably either fighting Kira or dead."  
>Matsuda pulled at the collar, yanking the Chief's inhabited gigai closer to him.<br>"Go find him! Right this instant!"  
>"Yeah, whatever. Just chill, dude."<br>"Don't tell me to 'Just chill'! If he gets hurt due to your negligence...I'll. Kill. You."  
>"Fine! Fine! Cool it, man! Jeeze! You're worse than Jinta!"<br>The artificial soul leaned out the window, noticing Soichiro laying on the ground in a pool of blood with Light cradling his body, tears in his eyes.  
>"Hm."<br>"What is it? Do you see him?"  
>"I do believe so."<br>He pointed in the direction of Light, who had now been joined by a blue-haired Shinigami.  
>"What? I can't see anything."<br>The reanimated body facepalmed. Of course. Matsuda was just a normal human. He couldn't see souls.  
>"Well...I have good news and bad news. Good news is that Soichiro's probably alive, and Light's back to normal. Bad news is that the Chief won't be alive for too long, unless that other Shinigami is from Squad 4."<br>Matsuda was pacing back and forth, holding his head in his hands.  
>"No...no, no no no NO! He can't die now! I don't want him to die! Can't we do something!"<br>"Hope for the best. I think that blue-haired chick is Isane Kotetsu. She's the lieutenant of Squad 4. So Yagami-San's in good hands now. He's probably fine now. His Reiatsu is definitely feeling a lot more peaceful now, and Light seems to be talking to Isane. I think they're taking him back here. Yeah, looks like he's fine, just asleep or something like that."  
>Matsuda breathed a little bit easier.<br>"Damn. I'm really hungry." The Soul Candy said.  
>"You haven't even told me your name, by the way."<br>"Oh, me? I'm Daisuke."  
>"Well...nice to meet ya, Daisuke. I guess you already know who I am."<br>"Sure I do. I can actually access all of the memories in Soichiro's human brain, so I know his most likely response to any situation. But it gets really monotonous, and you already know I'm a replacement soul, so no harm in being myself, is there?" He grinned.  
>"I suppose so. Before we go anywhere, though...I really wanna make sure Yagami-San's fine."<br>"Well...you'll be able to find out any minute now. They're comin up here right about...now."  
>Isane and Light flash-stepped through the door of the room effortlessly, Light holding his father from beneath his arms, and Isane grasping his feet. They laid his body on the bed, Light sitting down besides him, leaning over him lovingly. Sweetly, even.<br>"Who...Ahhh...Light? But...you?"  
>Matsuda was trembling and pointing at Light. He seemed to be dumbstruck.<br>"Matsuda...It's been quite a while since I've seen you. How're you doing?"  
>"What...but...didn't you...kill him? Aren't you Kira?"<br>"What did you just say?" Light's face turned icy and rigid at that word.  
>"Aren't you Kira?"<br>Light sighed.  
>"Matsuda...Kira is dead. I'm Light. The Chief's son. Yagami-San is my father. I love him. How could I be Kira? Kira is what killed Ryuuzaki, Matsuda. He was my friend. Despite our arguments, we were friends. Kira...is gone, no longer part of me."<br>Matsuda looked a little bit relieved.  
>"Hey...how come I can see you now? Aren't you a soul?"<br>"Well...it looks like you've just reached the proper level of Reiatsu saturation to see souls."  
>That was the blue-haired woman.<br>"What's that?" Matsuda and Light asked simultaneously.  
>"Reiatsu is spiritual pressure. If you have high Reiatsu, you can see souls and Shinigami."<br>"But...what about the Death Note?" Light asked.  
>"The Death Note holders are Shinigami from the Lower Realms. I thought we got rid of those pests a few hundred years ago in the Great War. Seems some of 'em are still causing trouble, interfering with people's lifespans."<br>"But...what about me? I'm dead, and I've used the Death Note. What happens to me? I'm not going to Hell, am I?"  
>"Typically we destroy the souls of Death Note users, since they become powerful Hollows, or corrupted souls. You...are a special case. Your father has destroyed your inner Hollow, which had separated from your normal soul form. You'll be taken to Soul Society."<br>"But...What about Yagami-San?" Matsuda asked, a curious look on his face.  
>"He...can't go."<br>"Why not? He isn't going to Hell, is he?" Light was panicking, clearly concerned for his father's well-being.  
>"No. He isn't. He just... can't go to Soul Society. He got expelled due to his inner Hollow being a threat to other Shinigami."<br>"But...he told me that...he mastered his Hollow..." Matsuda stuttered.  
>"He just can't go. Even if he's mastered his iner Hollow. He'll have to stay in the Human World, in his gigai."<br>Light looked crushed, but Matsuda perked up a little.  
>"So...Yagami-San will be staying with me?" Matsuda chirped.<br>"Matsuda! He's my father! How do you think I feel about this? I'll never be able to see him again!"  
>"Not exactly. You'll have assignments in the Human World if you become a Shinigami, and on those assignments you could visit your father. You might even be assigned to a post in Tokyo, so you'd be able to see him regularly."<br>The angry expression on Light's face slowly dissolved into one of resignation.  
>"All right. I'll go. But...I just want to make sure whether he's all right or not. Talk to him one last time."<br>"That's fine by me."  
>"What's your name, by the way?" Matsuda asked, a hopeful expression dancing on his face.<br>"Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant of Shinigami Squad 4. And no, I will not go out with you."  
>"Awwwww..." Matsuda's dreams were smashed once again.<br>"Sucks, huh?" Light taunted him.  
>"Rrrrrrrrrr...I'll get you, Yagami...just you wait..." Matsuda glowered..<br>Isane grinned innocently.

After an hour or so, Soichiro regained consciousness. Light had a genuinely happy smile that Yagami-San hadn't seen in so long. The father's lips broke into a tearful smile as he hugged his son closely, almost sobbing with joy.  
>"Light...Light...my son... I missed you so much... I love you."<br>"I missed you too, Tou-San. I...never wanted to hurt you. It wasn't me. It was him. It was Kira, Tou-San. Please...will you forgive me?"  
>The older man held his son even closer.<br>"What is there to be forgiven? I love you, Light, and you're here, now, with me, and Kira's gone, he's dead. How could I bear any ill will towards you? I missed you so much for those 5 years, Light. So, so much. I love you."  
>"I love you too, Tou-San."<br>They held each other silently for a moment, tears rolling down Soichiro's face, soaking his gi. He wished this moment would never end.  
>But all good things come to an end, and this was no exception. Soichiro's grip on slowly released, and he stood up, an arm on his son's shoulder, Light standing up as well.<br>"Light... Make me proud." He spoke into his son's ear.  
>"I will, Tou-San. I promise, I will."<br>He walked up to Isane, giving Soichiro one last tearful look, before her blade's hilt slammed into Light's forehead, dissolving him into blue spirit particles.  
>Yagami-San smiled sadly, with longing in his eyes.<br>He slipped back into his gigai, spitting the green sphere into his hand and returning it to its orange, transparent bottle. He felt a sharp pain, and remembered his gunshot wounds. He sat down, taking two pain pills. As he swallowed, he remembered all of those insane events that led up to this moment. Isane smiled, opening a portal to Soul Society. As she stepped through, she waved at Soichiro, and gave Matsuda a little smile.  
>"Chief..."<br>"No need for words, son. We're going home. Our work here is done."  
>Matsuda leaned his head on Yagami-San's shoulder, and took a big sniff of the man.<br>Cologne, sweat, hospital disinfectant, tears, a little bit of blood, and that...oddly warm and comforting smell of Soichiro Yagami's body.  
>Matsuda's lips cracked into a smile.<br>The Chief was finally back. 


End file.
